Stroll takes on his 'jealous' detractors

40

Lance Stroll believes jealous souls have led the march of criticism since the teenager was promoted to Formula 1 with Williams.

It's a well-known fact that the 18-year-old Canadian's career has been lavishly bankrolled by his billionaire father, investor and fashion mogul Lawrence Stroll.

Stroll junior made the most of his father's wealth, as any young aspiring racing would have sought to do, winning the Italian Formula 4 series in 2014 before graduating and winning last year's European F3 Championship.

The young man's winning progress left a trail of criticism in its wake however, most of which was generated by drivers who have not made it to F1 according to Stroll.

"Obviously people who are not in Formula 1 are trying to find excuses why they are not in Formula 1," he told Autosport.

"I think that the drivers in the [F1] paddock have respect of each other. They all know that winning Formula 4, Formula Renault, Formula 3 takes a lot of effort and work to do that.

"So for sure the drivers in Formula 1 have respect for each other, we know what it takes to arrive here and then obviously the drivers, who are not here, most of the time will find a way to find a reason not to be here.

"So it's normal. I don't think I need to spell it for you, but that's the way it is.

"Because you are always going to find jealous people and people that don't like you for the wrong reasons and that's the way it is."

'Stroll will improve with time', says Massa

Stroll endured a difficult pre-season testing period with several off-track excursions. He also crashed in practice for last weekend's Australian GP and retired from the race with a brake issue.

Serving somewhat as a mentor to the apprentice, Williams' Felipe Massa says he is doing his best to help his young team mate with valuable advice.

The Brazilian is urging for patience however.

"He has ended up not having a great start, including what happened in testing," said Massa.

"But he has to have patience and time. I'm passing on all the information to him, everything I see, to help him learn and to understand. I've known him since he was 8 years old."

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.