Lance Stroll: "I see 2021 as a huge opportunity for us"

For Aston Martin, 2021 is the year of change. The Racing Point name disappears from the Silverstone team and the pink colours are exchanged for British Racing Green. What does remain the same is driver Lance Stroll. He is preparing for his third season with the team.

Stroll is entering his fifth full season in the premier class of motor racing. So far, the 22-year-old Canadian has racked up three podiums and a bizarre pole position in Turkey in 2020. As an Aston Martin driver, he hopes to fill his trophy cabinet even more.

Stroll is eager to start 2021

"There's a whole history behind the name Aston Martin. There's just such great energy at the team and everyone's just so excited to go racing this year. The car looks great. Last year we learnt a lot and there was a lot of potential but also a lot of missed opportunities as well.

"We were fighting for third in the Championship up until the last race and we just missed out and I think we're all so hungry to just give it another shot this year and see what we can do," the Canadian said at the release.

“This is such an exciting time of the year. The car launch is when everything starts to feel real again, especially this year with our new identity as Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team. The new name is exciting for everyone and there is a massive buzz around the factory.

“I have come back refreshed from the winter break. It is going to be my third season here working with this great bunch of people, and that stability is what you need as a driver. I am at home here and I have built those strong relationships with the team now. All that stuff makes a difference when we are competing for those last fractions of a second. It is a case of knowing exactly what you need and how to work with the team to really optimise performance.

“It is all quite full-on this year, with fewer testing days available, but we have made good use of our simulation tools at the factory to help us prepare. There will be higher expectations this year for several reasons – including the team name – and I see 2021 as a huge opportunity for us to score some great results. We had real momentum at the end of 2020 and I believe we can hit the ground running this year, too.”