Williams offer hard to refuse, says ex-Ferrari junior Stroll

Lance Stroll admits leaving the Ferrari Driver Academy for Williams was a tough decision, but thinks the British team provides him with an “exceptional opportunity for his nascent racing career.”

The 17-year-old was confirmed as Williams’ latest development driver during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend and hopes to emulate current driver Valtteri Bottas, who started out in the same capacity at Grove in 2011.

“For sure, this is not easy to leave them [the Ferrari Driver Academy],” Stroll told Canadian publication La Presse. “We’d been working as a family since 2010. It’s a tough decision to make, but Williams represents an exceptional opportunity.

“They believe in me to become one of their next drivers and have been following my progress for a long time. They saw I could not only win races and titles, but also that I had the potential to become a strong driver.”

Commenting on his development role within Williams, the 2014 Italian Formula 4 champion added: “It means extensive sessions in the simulator, as well as a lot of learning at the Williams factory to see how Formula One works.

“It also includes being trackside and in the garage during F1 grand prix weekends when there is no clashing dates with Formula 3. It also entails learning how an F1 car works.”

After an up-and-down rookie F3 campaign with renowned outfit Prema Powerteam – Stroll won a race but also received a ban for causing a crash at Spa – the teenager will return for a second season in the highly-rated junior category.

With youngsters like Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, and Daniil Kvyat showing prowess from the get-go at the top echelon, Stroll has been tipped for a similarly rapid ascent, especially with billionaire father Lawrence Stroll financially supporting him.

The Montreal-born F1 hopeful insists he is not eager to race through the stages.

“I’m fully focussed on F3 and 2016 at the moment. I will take one thing at a time, I’m still a young driver and we have time ahead. There is no rush. We’ll see how next year goes and what the best opportunity will be then.”

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Quotes of the weekend

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - F1i's driver ratings