Stroll dismisses the doubters: ‘I try and live in my world’

Lance Stroll has never been short of critics – and, to be fair, he’s given them plenty of ammunition over the years. And yet the Canadian just keeps chugging along.

Since his Formula 1 debut in 2017, Stroll has carved out a curious career: flashes of talent, glimmers of promise, and long stretches of head-scratching underperformance.

But Stroll brushes off the naysayers with the nonchalance of someone swatting away a pesky fly, revealing a mental fortress built on self-belief and a tight-knit circle of trusted allies.

“I like to see it as just noise,” he said, speaking in a recent interview on Aston Martin’s YouTube channel. “If I buy into it, it bothers me for sure, but that’s where I am fortunate.

“I have good people around me that I love, that I trust and I put my attention and value in their opinions. I try and live in my world, not the world in that sense. There’s always going to be criticism.

“People are very short-minded. You have a couple of good races, you’re great. You have a couple of bad ones, you suck.

“That’s never going to change. That’s why being surrounded by important people and valuing the opinion of people that you care about, that you value. That you really know their opinion is what matters.

“Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.”

Mental Strength Over Lap Time

Stroll’s defiance comes at a time when his performances have, once again, fallen under scrutiny.

Eighteen rounds into the 2025 season, he trails teammate Fernando Alonso – particularly in qualifying – but remains within touching distance in the standings, just four points shy.

For a driver long accused of underdelivering in machinery good enough for more, it’s a statistic that offers a sliver of vindication.

And Stroll insists that belief, not backlash, is what keeps him going.

“95 per cent of being a Formula One driver is mental, and five per cent is physical,” he said. “Like any sport, you need to be physically prepared, but you have to have that confidence and belief in yourself.

“I’m always curious about how I can be better mentally and technically and refine my process going into the weekends. I love the mental work and the psychology around sports and racing.

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The 26-year-old acknowledges the ebb and flow of a driver’s career.

“I think there’s different chapters in your career. There’s times when everything’s very clear and simple and you have it all figured out, and there’s times when it’s not so clear and not so simple and you have to change the way you go about things.

“Consistent mental work is key to getting the most out of yourself. That process is what’s been important for me.”

A Big Opportunity Ahead — Or Just More of the Same?

Stroll is set to remain with Aston Martin into 2026, a season that could make or break his F1 legacy.

The team is betting heavily on its future, with a revamped Silverstone headquarters, the signing of legendary designer Adrian Newey, and Ferrari’s Enrico Cardile joining to strengthen the technical side.

But even as Aston Martin builds for glory, Stroll’s challenge is simpler: to silence his critics not with words, but with results.

After all, the “noise” he dismisses so casually tends to fade only when the stopwatch –
and the results – say otherwise.

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