By Jake Owen
There is a term within the F1 dictionary that has often been associated with drivers unworthy of
their seat in the sport, a term that actually describes the way they enter it. Former drivers that
fall under this term include, Pastor Maldonado, Nikita Mazepin and Ricardo Rosset, drivers most
definitely unworthy of the seats they had in F1. The term I’m describing is ‘Pay-Driver’. Why
mention this term? Because arguably, Lance Stroll falls under its definitions. With this labelling,
constant scrutiny has befallen his place within the sport and with the start of the season
drawing nearer, that scrutiny has only gotten louder. So, I ask you this question, could this be
Lance Strolls last year in formula one?
Last season, a reshuffled Aston Martin team went into 2025 with hopes of closing in on the front
runners, but what they came out with was their worst performance since the ground effect
regulations were introduced and many lay these failings at Strolls door. Stroll ended the season
yet again behind teammate Alonso who himself suffered a frustrating season that was riddled
with typical Alonso luck. Despite starting the season well, Stroll struggled with consistency and
the criticism that came from it seemed to have a negative effect on the Canadian, with a
reported outburst at the Spanish gp that involved a thrown race helmet and punched walls. At
the end of the year, Stroll commented on the criticisms and said, ‘I like to see it as just noise. If I
buy into it, it bothers me’. With all this in mind, we can all determine that Lance does not
deserve his seat in F1, but the only man that needs convincing and may be convinced in 2026, is
team owner Lawrence Stroll.
Owner of the Aston Martin team, Lawrence Stroll has on numerous occasions signified his
intent with the team, saying in 2021 that Aston Martin will be fighting for championships in ‘four
or five’ years’ time. Heading into the fifth year of that plan, Lawrence has put out statements of
intent with the signing of aero guru Adrien Newey and an exclusive engine deal with Honda, but
will all this be undermined by his son staying in the team? Lawrence can be argued as the only
reason for Lance Stroll to still be in the team, with Lawrence spending a fortune on his sons
career but with his lacklustre performances and Aston Martin continuing to evolve, will
Lawrence finally admit that it’s time to enact one last statement of intent and remove his son
from the sport?
With criticisms and team ambitions weighing heavy on Lance, is it possible that he may leave
the sport on his own accord, with rumours originating from Aston Martin reserve and former F2
champion Felipe Drugovich, saying that in 2024 Lance Stroll ‘almost didn’t continue’. This along
with his reported moodiness within the media, with an example coming from the 2025 Italian gp
where he gave reporters a very moody post-race interview filled with shrugs and short answers,
could signify his unwillingness to remain in the sport for the foreseeable future. The pressure on
Lance is inarguably immense, so moving into this new season, could we see a scenario unfold
where Lance Stroll gives up and decides to jump before he’s pushed?
With all this in mind, we are still left with the question on whether or not this could be Lance
Strolls last year in F1, but the answer mostly relies upon Lance himself. If he can improve his
performances and move away from his ‘Pay-Driver’ label then he will most likely remain in the
sport for 2027 but if he does not, then it will either come down to his fathers ambitions to move
the team forward, or his own attitude towards remaining in the sport
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