De la Rosa: Alonso and Stroll will be 'fantastic' teammates at Aston

40

New Aston Martin team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa believes Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will form a fantastic combination next season, insisting the age gap between the pair will benefit both drivers.

Alonso will leave Alpine at the end of the current season to embark at 41 on a new journey with Team Silverstone.

At Aston Martin, the two-time F1 world champion will reunite with de la Rosa, having previously collaborated with his countryman and friend de la Rosa at McLaren and at Ferrari.

The former F1 driver will handle media, PR and advisory duties and serve as a consultant for Aston Martin's new Driver Development Programme, which recently signed up 2022 FIA Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich.

Assessing Aston's future line-up that blends Alonso's vast experience with Stroll's youth, de la Rosa believes the pair will naturally form a strong duo.

Read also:

De la Rosa: Aston Martin honesty key to good relationship with Alonso

"I'm looking forward to working with them," said de la Rosa. "One is 23 years old and the other is 41, so I think that the combination will be fantastic.

"I think Fernando will work very well with Lance, because there is this age gap and Fernando is so mature now, so they will help each other to become stronger as teammates."

After nearly six seasons in Formula 1, Stroll's merits are still debated by fans. There are those who insist that the Canadian continues after nearly six seasons to owe his presence on the grid to his father's lavish support.

Others believe the 23-year-old has developed into a proper F1 driver who just needs a good car to move on to the next level.

For de la Rosa, Stroll's credentials in the junior ranks have always pointed to a gifted racer who actually shares a lot in common with Alonso.

"I think Lance is underrated," said de la Rosa. "Look at his career. He's won in every junior formula before getting to Formula 1. How many drivers can say that?

"I think [Stroll and Alonso] have a lot in common, in the sense that they are extremely good starters, and the first lap performance of both of them is impressive.

"Look at Lance's start in Suzuka last week. It's amazing the start he did, overtaking Valtteri [Bottas].

"They are very committed drivers, that's the common denominator, and Lance is extremely quick and, to an extent, in some type of corners is one of the fastest."

De la Rosa also singled out Stroll's performance at Spa earlier this summer, and particularly his pace through the track's challenging double left-hand Pouhon complex in qualifying where the Canadian was in a league of his own.

"I was looking back during the summer in Spa [comparing] the telemetry between drivers, and it stood out that the only driver who was completely flat through Pouhon was Lance," explained the Spaniard.

"I was very, very impressed with that. We all know how difficult that corner is and how much it takes to be flat in qualifying there."

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.