Amidst the likes of soon-to-be three-time world champion Max Verstappen and victory-seeking Lewis Hamilton, it was Lance Stroll who ended up as the most trending driver across the F1 fraternity following Friday’s qualifying outing at the Qatar Grand Prix. What’s more, the Aston Martin driver attained the spotlight for all the bad reasons propelled by his shenanigans in the garage.
One can acknowledge the fact that 2023 hasn’t been the year for Stroll, a pay driver who has accomplished just enough to prove himself as a worthy F1 driver. And, to make it worse, Stroll was unfortunately obliged to line up alongside one of the most aggressive title-winning drivers of all time, Fernando Alonso.
In a normal work place and this is a sackable move.
Stroll is 24 years old, he’s not a kid. He knows better. When you lay hands on staff members in anger then it should be game over. #F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/EQQ9yXbSzT
— Laura Leslie (@LauraLeslieF1) October 6, 2023
Hence, quite obviously, the 24-year-old hasn’t been anywhere near his legendary teammate, Alonso. Of course, there is absolutely no denying that Stroll has been trying his level best to contribute something for his team, but, the end results have been nothing but disappointing. Even an average weekend made it seem far more shambolic alongside the Spaniard.
Therefore, despite being lifted onto a pedastal by his father Lawrence Stroll, the never-ending criticisms are finally getting to Stroll Jr. Furthermore, with Stroll looking more vulnerable than ever, reports have started to pop out reckoning Aston Martin’s desire to look for options elsewhere. And, surprisingly enough, a driver born out of the Red Bull academy is seemingly on top of the list.
Is this F1 driver set to replace Lance Stroll at Aston Martin?
According to reports, Stroll has lost the confidence and the menial motivation that had been driving him all these months. Hence, as a counter-solution, the Lawrence Stroll-led outfit is finally on the market searching for a replacement. And the one driver that has made his way to the top of the priority list is Yuki Tsunoda.
🚨 | Yuki Tsunoda is understood to be on Aston Martin’s radar.
Helmut Marko has explained the conditions for Tsunoda to be released:https://t.co/eKD596HnMu
— formularacers (@formularacers_) October 6, 2023
The Japanese driver, despite his laudable performances in AlphaTauri, hasn’t been able to earn his promotion to Red Bull Racing. And to his poor luck, just when the stars were lining up, Daniel Ricciardo made an unexpected return to the Red Bull family, and now, the Honey Badger is tipped to join Max Verstappen as early as mid-next year.
Hence, amidst a hapless future at AlphaTauri, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if Tsunoda actually ends up considering Aston Martin’s offer. After all, Aston Martin has shown promises this year and is visibly in the running to claim the throne next season. Therefore, amid a potential title-winning opportunity at Aston Martin, will Tsunoda follow Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon’s footsteps out of the Red Bull group?
