The Qatar incident involving Lance Stroll and his trainer has been downplayed by both the driver and his team boss amid rumors about Stroll’s future at Aston Martin.
Stroll’s recent struggles on the track and his inability to advance beyond Q1 for the fourth consecutive time had heightened tension. During a particularly charged moment, the 24-year-old was captured on camera violently shoving his trainer, Henry Howe.
Aston Martin‘s Team Principal, Mike Krack, initially refrained from commenting on the incident but later provided some insight, saying, “It’s not so easy to condemn someone. I usually try not to talk to drivers right after qualifying because I know how charged with adrenaline they can be.”
Krack also acknowledged that emotions are an integral part of sports and shouldn’t be overly criticized in such situations. He assured that there were no issues within the team, and they had discussed the incident with Stroll.
In addition to pushing his trainer, Stroll was seen throwing his expensive steering wheel across the garage. When asked if he had apologized for that, Krack confirmed, “He did. No problem.”
Krack admitted that the team had faced performance issues with the 2023 car but expressed optimism about upcoming improvements. “We have more improvements planned in the next few races coming up, and I hope to be able to turn it around.”
Lance, addressing the incident with his trainer, commented, “Everything is fine with us. He’s close to me. We go through frustration together, we travel together. He’s my bro. We have a good relationship. Everything is smooth for us.”
However, Stroll’s outburst had drawn harsh reactions on social media, with some calling for his removal from the team due to his billionaire father Lawrence Stroll’s involvement.
Responding to the social media criticism, Stroll said, “I don’t watch social media on a weekend. I sit in the car and drive it.” He attributed his frustration to the team’s recent performance struggles, acknowledging that they had hit a roadblock with the car’s development.
“It is obvious that we have reached a dead end with the car, and the situation is not getting better. And the whole team is disappointed,” said Stroll. “We want to achieve more, we want to become better, but now we just have to fight. I’m also struggling with the car to find a balance. I can’t get it to be as good as it used to be, which is very frustrating.”
Despite the incident, Stroll expressed that his approach to bad days on the track wouldn’t change, implying that his passion for racing might occasionally lead to such displays of frustration.
