Lance Stroll says he shuts out online criticism by focusing on the trusted voices around him
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll has detailed how he tunes out online criticism and backlash.
Stroll, who currently sits 13th in the 2025 drivers' standings, made his Formula 1 debut in 2017 with Williams, driving alongside Felipe Massa. He remained at the Grove outfit for the 2018 season before moving to Racing Point in 2019 when the team was bought by a consortium of investors led by his father, Lawrence Stroll.
Over his career in the championship, during which he has accumulated three podium finishes, one pole position and 324 career points, Stroll has seemingly faced a fair amount of criticism, which has been partly fuelled by his father owning the team he drives for.
“I like to see it as just noise. 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 their opinions," Stroll explained during an episode of Unearth Your Greatness on the Aston Martin YouTube channel.
"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.”
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
The 26-year-old driver didn't just discuss the off-track struggles but also the on-track difficulties.
"We can talk about the podiums and the pole, but let's talk about the losses. I think that's where you learn the most about yourself to grow from those tough moments. I think that's where you really grow as a person, as an athlete, as a driver, from those struggles.
"I want every day to be great and perfect, but that's just not the reality of sport. In sports, in anything in life that you pursue, there's going to be those highs and those lows. You have to accept that before you even go into it. Before every season, I think to myself, 'There's going to be good days and bad days and I have to accept that now.'
"We all love the champagne celebrations. But it's really in those hard moments, in those tough times, that we really learn the most about ourselves and we grow."
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Category: General Sports
