Stroll 'Has Worked on Weak Qualifying' Says Williams

Williams team owner Claire Williams is very content with the development of Lance Stroll. The young Canadian's clear weakness was qualifying last season, and he's worked on it during the off-season, to the owner's delight.

"He worked on his weaknesses," she explains. "His focus was on short-runs and qualifying laps, and he did a really good job in the simulator." Overall, Stroll has changed a lot over the winter, Williams says. "Despite his young age he is very self-confident, he knows what he wants and he does not hesitate to ask his engineers about it."

According to the Briton, Stroll still has a lot of work to do. However, she does think age doesn't matter, since every Formula 1 driver, no matter how old they are, has to hone his skills. 

"He's a driver who knows exactly what he's doing," Williams explains. "I'm curious what he can do this year." 

His engineer Luca Baldisserri has a large share in the development. Michael Schumacher's former engineer took Stroll under his wing long ago. "He's an important part of the team around Lance," said Williams. "He's also important to his mental strength, we're happy how everything develops."

Williams knows that the driver pairing for the upcoming Formula 1 season has been questioned over and over, but Stroll impressed the team in the winter. When asked if the young Canadian is now the team leader, the team boss deflected by saying "It's our tradition not to choose first and second drivers, which is not what Williams is pursuing, so he is not considered the leader in the team." Since it is only his second year in the F1 for Stroll, Williams is probably aware on the pressure this would put on the younngster.