Both Canadian drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Lance Stroll started their Formula 1 careers with Williams, but that’s where the difference ends and according to the 1997 world champion he is not sure that the teenager is ready to take his place at the pinnacle of the sport.
Villeneuve told Le Journal de Montreal, “Winning the F3 championship like he did may not translate at the next level. There are so many drivers who had starred in F3 but did not pan out in the end.”
Indeed recent F3 champions such as Daniel Juncadella, Raffaele Marciello, Esteban Ocon, Felix Rosenqvist, and Charles Leclerc have all won the title, but apart from Ocon none of them seem destined for F1 as yet.
Stroll insists that despite the money he has earned his place on the grid, but Villeneuve is cautious about his prospects, “It will be interesting to see how Lance will evolve psychologically in F1. He will no longer be protected by his father, he will be more or less on his own.”
“He is very quick and talented but he has not learned to suffer yet. I’m eager to see how he reacts under duress. If he overcomes it, like all great champions do, then the sky is the limit for him.”
“Lance has fought hard to win races but he has not toiled to survive in motor racing. He is not a finished product yet and needs to learn more but that’s only normal.”
“Lawrence Stroll made the right decisions and was able to prepare his son, who delivered the results. You cannot blame him for being born into a rich family,” added Villeneuve who won 11 grands prix in 163 race starts.
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