Lance Stroll responds to claims his father rejected his F1 retirement request

Lance Stroll has denied claims he wanted to retire from F1 in recent seasons.

Stroll’s F1 future has continued to be a major talking point.

While the Canadian has shown flashes of brilliance during his career, and to his credit, sits ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso in the drivers’ standings, hasn’t made significant steps forward in his overall performance.

He failed to out-qualify Alonso at the last 27 grands prix, stretching back to Silverstone last year.

Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft previously suggested Stroll wanted to quit F1 to pursue a tennis career.

Across the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, a Brazilian reporter claimed Stroll had twice asked to quit the sport, but his father, Lawrence Stroll, rejected his request on both occasions.

The billionaire has invested heavily in Aston Martin with its state-of-the-art headquarters at Silverstone.

Aston Martin have recruited the likes of Adrian Newey to spearhead their design team as they gear up for the new regulations in 2026.

Speaking to reporters at Monza on Thursday, Stroll denied rumours he wanted to retire from F1 in the past.

“I had no plans on doing that,” he said. “Not sure where that came from.

“I guess he needed something to say! I had no plans on it.”

Stroll has "good memories" at Monza

Monza is a circuit at which Lance Stroll has enjoyed success over the years.

He qualified on the front row in his rookie season for Williams in wet conditions.

Stroll finished on the podium in 2020, but could have won the race had it not been for a lock-up on the restart.

“Good memories from ’17 and ’20, for sure,” he continued. “It’s a track I always enjoy coming back to.

“The track, the fans, the energy around the whole weekend, it’s very special. It’s very unique. The Italian motorsport fans are special, for sure.

“Also, you know, growing up and go-karting, spending a lot of time in Italy, it kind of feels like coming back to the roots when you come back and race in Italy.”