Is Lance Stroll's Passion for F1 Real? Helmut Marko Raises Eyebrows

Red Bull's seasoned advisor, Helmut Marko, is casting a shadow of doubt over Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll's true commitment and drive within the high-stakes world of Formula 1. Since joining the Silverstone-based team in 2018, Stroll has largely played the second fiddle in the standings and remains under scrutiny despite his years on the circuit.

Throughout his tenure, Stroll has consistently lagged behind his teammates. Last season, he finished 132 points adrift of Fernando Alonso, and after nine rounds this season, he's trailing by 24 points. Nevertheless, Stroll's position within Aston Martin appears secure, thanks in no small part to his father, Lawrence Stroll, who leads the consortium owning the team since mid-2018.

Marko doesn't mince words when it comes to evaluating Stroll's performance. He reminisced about Stroll's standout races, recalling his podium in Baku with Williams in 2017 and his impressive pole position at Turkey in 2020. Yet, he questions the Canadian driver's passion and work ethic, suggesting that Stroll's results have been inconsistent at best.

"I remember his very good race leading up to his podium in Baku with Williams in 2017, and I remember him taking pole position from us (Red Bull) in Turkey in 2020," Marko remarked in an interview with Le Journal de Montréal. "Since then, he's had his ups and downs. Some very good races and some very ordinary ones." He went on to add, "I wonder if he really wants to be a driver and if he works very hard to achieve good results."

When pressed on whether Stroll deserves his seat on the F1 grid, Marko admitted, "It's difficult to say because I don't know him well enough and I'm not close enough to him to really judge his efforts. I've watched him. He has his ups and downs."

Stroll, however, vehemently stands by his dedication to the sport and his team. He recently emphasized his unwavering commitment to the ambitious projects Aston Martin has undertaken. "We have a very exciting wind tunnel that's being built, we have an incredible facility that's now in Silverstone that we moved into last year, so there's a lot of pieces of this puzzle that are really coming together," he explained.

He praised the influx of talent joining the team, both new faces and seasoned veterans, and expressed his optimism about the future. "Along with the talented people that have been in service for many years, a lot of new talented people have joined and are joining, which makes this project very exciting. So, in my mind, you know, definitely here [in Aston Martin] for the future. That's where my head's at," Stroll affirmed.

The transformation of the team has been nothing short of remarkable. "Like I said, how we've gone from a team that had 350, 400 people in 2019, and now we're pushing the number to 1000 people. It looks very different at Silverstone now compared to 18 months ago," he noted. Stroll's enthusiasm for the project is palpable, and he insists that his future lies with Aston Martin.

As Marko continues to question Stroll's commitment, the Canadian driver remains resolute in his journey with Aston Martin. Only time will tell if this commitment will translate into the results that both fans and critics are eager to see.