Stroll Snr 'could not be prouder' of son's performance

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Lawrence Stroll believes that the performance of his 18-year-old son in Sundays Canadian Grand Prix offers ample evidence that he deserves his place in Formula 1.

The rookie has been under intense scrutiny since the season kicked off in Melbourne, with many suggesting the Williams rookie is out of his depth in F1.

Fashion business tycoon Lawrence Stroll bankrolled his son's path to Grand Prix racing to the tune of an estimated $80M which were spent on an extensive private test program with Williams in 2016, which the junior driver successfully dovetailed with his Euro F3 commitments.

Despite the relentless ground-work, Stroll had a troubled start to his career in F1, marked by accidents and mistakes which encouraged pundits to doubt his ability to race at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Under-fire Stroll gets strong backing from Williams

His P9 finish in Canada came just in time for Stroll to confound his critics.

"He has just done his seventh race in F1, so everyone has to be patient," Stroll Snr told Le Journal de Montreal.

"I think my son is where he should be right now. You saw the races just as I did, and you know that he had some bad luck.

"But he did an extraordinary race here," said the billionaire.

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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.