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Stroll won't miss Massa's experience at Williams

Lance Stroll says not having an experienced team mate at Williams won't change anything as Felipe Massa offered "no guidance whatsoever" last year.

The Massa-Stroll relationship at the Grove-based outfit was often portrayed as a mentoring one between the Brazilian veteran and the 18-year-old rookie, with Massa himself saying it reminded him of his first year at Ferrari when he benefited from the valuable advice of Michael Schumacher.

Stroll insists however the perception was wrong, and Massa offered no real assistance during the young Canadian's formative year in Formula 1.

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"I don’t think I had any guidance from him last year, whatsoever," Stroll told Motorsport.com.

"He was a teammate like any other. He was busy trying to drive as fast as he could, and I was trying to drive as fast as I could. That was it. There was nothing more to it than that."

The working atmosphere at Williams was a straightforward and cordial one which, according to Stroll, simply involved two competitors out to do their best.

The prospect of racing this year alongside 22-year-old rookie Sergey Sirotkin changes nothing for the Canadian.

"I don’t know why people seem to think there was a coach or a mentor thing going on. There wasn’t; it was just him doing his job and me doing mine, and whoever did it better finished ahead.

"Whether my teammate is someone with 15 years’ experience or someone of one year's experience, my approach doesn’t change."

Massa responded to his former team mate's comments, with a laconic post on Twitter.

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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.