Jewish Canadian to compete in Melbourne’s Formula One.
Lance Stroll, is set to compete in the 2017 Formula One Car Race next week in Melbourne making the 18-yr-0ld Lance the first Canadian F1 driver since the 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, as well as the second-youngest driver in F1 history.
Lance Stroll Photo: Facebook
Montreal-born Stroll’s ambition and persistent drive for car racing success was evident from early on. At age five, Lance received a go-kart from his father, Lawrence Stroll, the eminent businessman, billionaire, and occasional amateur sports car driver. Only three years later, Lance won his first race and championship. Now he is competing against some of the world’s best at one of the most exclusive annual car racing championships.
But the lead-up to the F1 race has not been without setbacks. As reported by Channel Nine News, Lance gave his team an early finish in the Formula One testing two weeks ago. After spinning his Williams car into the gravel and damaging a new front wing, the 18-year-old explained: “There was an issue on the car and I was kind of a victim of the situation.” With a new crop of cars, featuring bigger tyres, more downforce, and the ability to go considerably faster around the corners, drivers are dealing with a new type of challenge. Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton told Nine News, “I feel for [Stroll] in the sense that it is the toughest year to come into Formula One, being that these are the fastest and most physical cars such a short amount of testing.”
Stroll replaces retiring Williams driver Felipe Massa for the 2017 season.
