Mike Krack defends Lance Stroll, highlighting media bias and emphasizing the Canadian’s dedication despite criticism over his public perception.
Does Lance Stroll deserve to keep his seat at Aston Martin F1 alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso?
The numbers suggest otherwise: over the past two years, Stroll has scored 98 points compared to Alonso’s 274 and has been outqualified by the Spaniard 37-8 (excluding sprints).
But for team principal Mike Krack, who previously claimed there was not necessarily a “performance gap” between his drivers, the media’s treatment of Lance Stroll is very unfair.
“Is Lance treated unfairly? Yes, massively,” Krack told Crash.
Krack will need to bolster his case to convince everyone…
“First of all, if you look at the gap to his teammate, who is one of the greatest of all time, it’s very narrow,” he said.
“Lance is very committed to the car’s development, driving in the simulator, staying fit, and being constructive in meetings.”
For the Canadian, the issue is not on track but rather how his media appearances are received. So, is it the media’s fault?
“He is judged primarily on how he fulfills his media obligations,” Krack explained.
“He’s a racing driver, and for me, a racing driver’s priority is to drive.”
“Now, we also know Formula 1 has evolved, with significant media exposure, responsibilities, and commitments. I think this is something people really focus on.”
“What we, as a team, are particularly emphasizing is the gap to one of the greatest of all time (Fernando Alonso). It’s very competitive. Where we fall short is simply in providing both drivers with the tools and the machine to perform at their best.”
“When you see Fernando finishing ninth in the championship, it’s not incredible, but because it’s Fernando, everyone says: ‘It’s the car.’ Lance achieved a fantastic result in Mexico with the slowest car that day, finishing 11th – no one talks about it.”
“Fernando finishes 11th at Monza, and it’s the story of the day. So, I think it’s very unfair how Lance is perceived by the outside world.”
“On the other hand, it doesn’t bother us too much. We know we have a different individual; very pleasant, very constructive, hardworking, pushing, and fast.”
Several F1 commentators, like Günther Steiner, suggest Lance Stroll has lost his love for the sport, as reflected in the terseness of his media appearances.
But Mike Krack strongly disagrees: the Canadian reportedly requested to drive in private test sessions with two-year-old cars as proof of his motivation.
“During the recent three-week break, I had Lance on the phone asking if we could organize a session in an old car because he wants to drive. That’s the difference. This is a sport without testing, and we have someone who loves to drive.”
“It’s very unfair when you read some comments, often written without much research, because it fits public opinion: let’s write this and fill a few lines. It’s a very skewed image.”
“You see this in all sports: there are villains, heroes, there’s a narrative to fill, and Formula 1 is no different.”
- Discover More>Piastri Tops FP3 as McLaren Dominates, Ferrari in Turmoil
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates.
Stroll receives ‘unfair’ treatment from the media, says Krack Stroll receives ‘unfair’ treatment from the media, says Krack