11 October 2023 , 09:13
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Nico Rosberg and David Coulthard both believe Lance Stroll is feeling the pressure after a disappointing season in Formula 1.
Stroll is 10th in the Drivers' Championship, having failed to achieve a single podium in 2023. Tensions boiled over during last Friday's qualifying session at the Qatar Grand Prix, as he threw his steering wheel out of his car and pushed personal trainer Henry Howe.
Stroll's misery is compounded by the success of his Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso. The two-time world champion has recorded seven podiums to sit fourth in the Drivers' Championship. The gap between the two drivers is alarming.
Stroll has also faced accusations of nepotism, as his father Lawrence owns the Aston Martin team. The Canadian, who is seven seasons into his F1 career, needs to improve quickly if he's to earn the admiration of legendary figures, such as Rosberg and Coulthard.
Rosberg slammed Stroll after witnessing his strop in Qatar. The 2016 world champion described Stroll's behaviour as "poor" to Sky Sports before adding: "That's not on, not for the mechanics, not for the trainer, not for anybody. That's really bad behaviour."
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Rosberg said he could "relate" to Stroll's antics because "it's really painful... when you're so far off". He added: "You're in that situation where you are the son of the boss, so even internally, the pressure will be building a lot. So I wouldn't want to be in his shoes."
Yet Rosberg also noted: "If it was any other driver, he'd be out for next year. With the way that it's going at the moment and with the expectation the team has, they want to go to get podiums and wins. But we have to say at the same time that Lance deserves to be there, in theory, because he in theory is quick enough."
Stroll is struggling to pick up points in Formula One (Hasan Bratic/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Do you agree with David Coulthard and Nico Rosberg? Let us know in the comments below!
Channel 4 pundit Coulthard also sympathised with Stroll after his "meltdown" and noted: "He's just getting absolutely hammered by Fernando Alonso and he’s had a meltdown. His trainer is just trying to do his job, which is get him to the scales."
The 2001 F1 runner-up has told Stroll "you can't be putting you hands on someone like that" before fellow pundit Mark Webber added: "No, absolutely not. The trainer was doing his best... He’s in a tough situation... He’s under the pump."
Stroll has defended his actions by insisting his relationship with Howe is "good", describing the trainer as a "bro". He claimed: "We go through the frustration together. We ride together... I’m just struggling with the car and just getting to grips with the balance. I’m just not able to extract performance from it right now, which is difficult and frustrating.
"We’re in a rut and it’s not getting better. Frustration is in the whole group right now. We want to do better, we want to get better. But it’s just a struggle right now."