Page 91 - Sharp September 2024

that day as long as possible.”
After the crowd’s applause, Stroll stops to take pictures with a
long queue of fans before slipping behind a curtain to a private room for our interview. It’s one of the few quiet moments he’ll have before race day. Still, he wastes no time, grabbing a bottle of water and smiling wide as he sits down. “Are we ready to go?” he asks. After debuting in Formula 1 in 2017 as the second-youngest driver to start a race, this pace of life has become second nature to him.
“I’ve gotten used to the pressure, the criticism, the risk, all of that. It’s just part of the job now,” he explains. Moulded in the high-pressure incubator of professional racing, it’s hard to believe that, not long ago, he was on the other side of the track, watching with his father from the sidelines.
“They’re some of my favourite memories to look back on,” he recalls. “I would sit in corner one with my dad. It was something we shared since I was three years old. It’s amazing to think that now I’m a part of it, that I’m teammates with [Fernando Alonso], who I grew up watching. When I get out there and race in front of the home fans in Montreal, it’s a dream come true, for sure. It never gets old.”
Stroll’s father, Lawrence, began cultivating his son’s dreams of driving from an early age. Aside from taking him to races, he recognized his son’s penchant for the sport and introduced him to karting at five years old.
“We’d set up cones in the parking lot. I had this little blue kart and I’d drive around for hours, pretending it was the [Canadian Grand Prix]. I was always an adrenalin junkie. He recognized that and did everything he could to support it,” he says. “I grew up watching and idolizing drivers but no one ever as much as I admired my father. We fell in love with the sport together. I think when I started driving, he saw racing in a whole new way. [...] He’s really my life partner, you know? We’ve been on this entire journey together. I’ve competed in over 150
FEATURE
SHARPMAGAZINE.COM
SEPTEMBER 2024 91
races in Formula 1 and he’s supported me through every single one.” In 2020, Lawrence Stroll led a consortium in a strategic equity investment of $322 million in Aston Martin, becoming executive chairman of the company and marking yet another landmark moment of support for his son’s career. Still, despite support from family and hometown fans lining the stands holding “Welcome home, Lance!”
signs, when race day arrives, Stroll claims sole responsibility. “When I get behind the wheel of that thing, I’m my own boss. No one’s out there telling me what to do,” he says. Formula 1 is a sport rife with comparison and unyielding global criticism. But, over the years, Stroll has learned not to internalize outside noise. “I respect the guys that have the speed on track. You know, if you look at Max [Verstappen] today, he’s killing it. [...] And [Michael] Schumacher in his time and [Ayrton] Senna in his time. I have a lot of respect for all of them. But I’m having my own career. I don’t want to emulate
anyone. When I’m in the car, I’m only focusing on myself.” Reuniting with childhood friends, spending time with family, and returning to the restaurants he grew up frequenting only underscores this commitment. Less than 48 hours away from returning to his
home track, Stroll only has two wishes.
“I want to perform to the best of my abilities,” he begins. “And I
want to do it my way. There are a lot of good drivers on the grid. But I’m in my lane driving my own race. I think you can only go so far trying to be someone else. Especially coming home to a place where everyone knows me. Even years from now, when I’m done driving and coming back with BOSS or Aston Martin or just for the city itself, I’d never want to come home as anyone but myself.”