“Safest Seat in F1” at RISK of being lost in 2023!

By Joe Murphy

If latest news is to be believed, then one of the safest seats in Formula 1 is at risk. Whereas Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen look pretty dead set with their respective teams, there is arguably no safer seat in the sport than Lance Stroll’s at Aston Martin.

Not to rag on the young Canadian in any way. Lance is an extremely talented driver who has achieved multiple podiums over the course of his F1 career to date. He also is one of only a handful of drivers to have scooped a Pole Position in the last decade, and arguably the only one not from a top team.

All things considered, however, this year hasn’t been the best for Stroll. He has only five points across all races so far, approximately four times less than teammate Sebastian Vettel. Whilst Lance has had experience next to him in the form of the former four time World Champion over the past couple of seasons, the team has still opted for Fernando Alonso to replace the departing German, for 2023.

Another problem for Stroll is the fact he is on a hefty salary. In fact, clocking in around 10 million dollars makes him the most expensive driver in the grid, in terms of points per dollar. 1.9 million a point is not something the team will be able to sustain, even if the money comes from Stroll’s father Lawrence. Next year could prove decisive as pressure will begin to amount if the Spanish driver absolutely trounces Lance in the head to head record.

Arguably, F1 is more competitive now than it has ever been. The worry for Lance is that if his performances don’t improve, there’s only so much power and influence Daddy can have.