Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa has claimed Lance Stroll has “unreal” talent in Formula 1 and considers it a “matter of time” until that potential is realised.
Stroll hasn’t beaten a team-mate since moving over to the team in 2019 that his father Lawrence owns, losing to Sergio Perez, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.
The Canadian was unable to maintain pace with Alonso as Aston Martin reached new heights last season and wound up a sizeable 132 points down in the standings.
But while the Silverstone-based squad’s competitiveness has waned this term and big results haven’t been possible, Stroll has managed 11 points versus Alonso’s 33.
However, de la Rosa remains assured that Stroll is “incredibly talented” and cites that behind closed doors he sees the hallmarks of a driver who can be “outstanding”.
“He’s just unreal how much potential he has,” de la Rosa told RacingNews365.
“When you compare him against Fernando, there are corners where Lance is quicker.
“He’s learning a lot with Fernando, they work together very well, and it’s just a matter of time before we see the best Lance and a big explosion of talent.
“The moment he puts everything together, he will be outstanding.”
Aston Martin introduced updates at Imola that thus far have not delivered the expected gains and made its car “more difficult to drive”, according to boss Mike Krack.
Stroll has conceded that the limitations with the AMR24 are more pressing and de la Rosa thinks no individual “should underestimate how difficult this car is to drive”.
However, de la Rosa contends that a breakthrough result such as a podium could prove to transcend Stroll’s campaign and see him become a more consistent driver.
“It gives you that extra confidence,” de la Rosa added.
“When Fernando had that first podium in Bahrain, after that, he was walking on water. Even a guy like Fernando needs that extra confidence.”
The Spaniard, who competed in 107 F1 grands prix, reckons that Stroll’s work ethic is underrated and it will be a “matter of time” until he gets the results he deserves.
“One thing that people don’t realise is how hard Lance works, how much dedication he puts in on the simulator, working with the team, on himself, looking at the data and improving,” de la Rosa explained.
“That’s a sign that has made me understand his potential because I see how hard he works inside the team, and also how well he works with Fernando, how much they talk between them. This is something outstanding. They have a great partnership between them and a great trust.”
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