Lance Stroll opens up on harsh F1 criticism: 'If I buy into it, it bothers me'

Lance Stroll has shared how he handles the bright spotlight that comes with racing in F1, and what he does to counteract the harsh criticism he is often subject to. The Aston Martin driver is one of the most polarising figures in the Formula 1 paddock. Now into his ninth season in the championship, whilst he has shown he is quick enough to compete in F1, he is considered by many to not be worthy of the seat he occupies at the Silverstone-based squad. Stroll has scored three podiums since his debut with Williams in 2017, becoming the second-youngest driver in F1 history — behind Max Verstappen — to reach the rostrum at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that year, and he took his maiden pole position at the Turkish Grand Prix in 2020. However, he has often struggled for consistency and comparatively to his team-mates. Although he has spent time alongside multiple F1 drivers' champions, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, during his time at Aston Martin. But, as the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll, the young Canadian is an easy shot, with many arguing he is only still in his seat because of his father, and that he will ultimately hold the team back from its championship aspirations.  Speaking to Jake Humphrey as part of Aston Martin's Unearth Your Greatness series on YouTube, Stroll addressed the often-extreme criticism he receives, saying: "I like to see it as just noise. "If I buy into it, it bothers me, for sure, but that's where I am fortunate. I have good people around me that I love, that I trust, and I put my attention and value their opinions. I try and live in my world, not the world in that sense. "There's always going to be criticism. People are very short-minded. You have a couple of good races, you're great. You have a couple of bad ones; you suck. That's never going to change. "That's why being surrounded by important people and valuing the opinion of people that you care about, that you value, that you really know their opinion, is what matters. Don't take criticism from someone you wouldn't take advice from." 'Let's talk about the losses' Lawrence Stroll has ploughed significant investment into the Aston Martin team, transforming the facilities at its Silverstone base, bringing Adrian Newey on board and striking a deal with Honda for a works power unit partnership for the 2026 season. However, the team is currently struggling and sits a lowly seventh in the current campaign's constructors' standings, having finished fifth the past two years. In 2025, it is the only team in the top eight yet to reach the podium, a far cry from Alonso clinching six in the opening eight rounds of 2023. With F1's power unit and chassis overhaul looming ahead of next term, Stroll highlighted how he has used the difficulties of an underwhelming campaign to develop, as Aston Martin readies itself to hopefully jump back up the pecking order. "That's the thing," the 26-year-old said. "We can talk about the podium and the poles, but let's talk about the losses." "I think that's where you learn the most about yourself and to grow from those tough moments. "I think that's where you really grow as a person, as an athlete, driver, from those struggles, from those hard days. What can you learn from it? How can you come back next week and be better? "We all love the highs. We all love the champagne celebrations. But, it's really in those hard moments, those tough times, that we learn the most about ourselves and we grow."