After seven years in Formula One, Lance Stroll is still remembered for his remarkable junior career. His impressive record includes three podium finishes and a pole position in Turkey. However, this season has been complicated for him due to his notorious inconsistency and occasional flashes of brilliance, especially in wet conditions.
Now, Stroll has to face off against two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso, and thus far Alonso is leading the championship standings with 149 points, while Stroll is lagging behind in ninth place with only 47 points.
That has led to speculation over his future, and reports say it might just be a sport with a ball.
Lance Stroll rumored to quit Formula 1 to pursue tennis career
The performance displayed by Alonso behind the AMR23 has been remarkable this year, leading to comparisons with Stroll that are unavoidable. With a huge gap of 102 points between the two of them, the second largest on the grid, it has painted a very poor image of Stroll’s current form. Alonso has six podiums already this season, while Stroll is yet to step up onto the podium. That has led to speculation over his future by Ben Anderson, editor of The Race.
Speaking on The Race podcast, Ben said: [Stroll] is too far behind Alonso but, really, he’s only likely to leave that team voluntarily – he’s on a rolling contract in his dad’s organization.
“There’s been some rumors floating around that he’s considering a switch to tennis, so if he makes a career switch like that that opens up the seat. That said, I don’t think he’s keeping anyone off the grid who truly belongs there, I just think maybe he should be slightly lower down.”
Anderson then discussed the possibilities for the second Aston Martin seat, which could be highly sought after considering the team’s increased fortunes this year.
Ben Anderson went on to say that if Aston Martin’s second driver seat becomes available in 2024/25, there are several drivers who are ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in the queue. Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda have already been mentioned as potential candidates, as Honda, Aston Martin’s engine partner from 2026, would like to bring one of them onboard.
Anderson also mentioned Oscar Piastri, who is making waves as a rookie. Once his original contract with McLaren expires, he would be a serious contender for the seat, especially given Aston Martin’s situation with Alonso, who is the team’s established leader but is aging and unlikely to continue much beyond 2025.
F1 community reacts to Lance Stroll’s reported career switch
Aside from a few supporters, the rest of the fanbase has been creating humorous memes and making sarcastic remarks regarding the Canadian. It appears as though the fans are viewing his potential departure as a comical event and while making it look like something that has been anticipated for a long period of time.
A F1 meme has posted a tweet making fun of Lance Stroll while taking a dig at his dad, Lawrence Stroll too.
Lance Stroll is considering a career switch to Tennis ? pic.twitter.com/1cumKv7R9M
— F1 TROLL (@f1trollofficial) August 23, 2023
And another fan posts a picture of Carlos Alcaraz holding the Wimbledon trophy saying that she would tell her kids that Carlos was Lance Stroll, referring to their striking resemblance.
gonna tell my kids this was lance stroll pic.twitter.com/aJsLnPiVQS
— Lu🧃 (@suvnflowers) August 23, 2023
Only time will tell whether or not Lance Stroll’s probable decision to switch to tennis was the right one. However, it is clear that his decision has been met with mixed reactions from fans.
What do you think of Lance playing tennis professionally? And who do you think could replace him if it happens? Let us know your views in the comments section down below.
