Former Ferrari team member defends Lance Stroll: “You try racing against Massa, Vettel, and Alonso”. Gino Rosato defends Lance Stroll against criticism.

Excessive patriotism?
Lance Stroll is certainly not a driver known for winning over the public’s favor. Born in 1998, beyond carrying the inevitable label of “dad’s boy,” he is often perceived as rude and gruff in radio communications and in his behavior both inside the cockpit and in the garage, with several episodes of uncontrolled outbursts now well documented.

Nonetheless, Stroll has also delivered some remarkable achievements that no one can ever take away from him. His pole position in Turkey in 2020, on a track that was essentially an ice rink, remains perhaps the highlight—so far—of the Aston Martin driver’s career. He is also second only to Max Verstappen in terms of youngest podium finishes in Formula 1, having stood on the podium at Baku in 2017 after a wild race, narrowly losing second place in a sprint finish to Valtteri Bottas. Another milestone not to be forgotten is his front row start at Monza in his debut year under torrential rain conditions (he actually finished Q3 in fourth place, but penalties to Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen promoted him to the front row).

During a long and unmissable appearance on the YouTube channel ‘PitStop,’ former Ferrari stalwart Gino Rosato took the defense of his fellow Canadian (both share Canadian nationality): “It has always been said that Lance Stroll is in Formula 1 only because of his father’s money. True, but let me hear the example of any driver who arrived in Formula 1 without family support, a manager, or a sponsor. In one way or another, everyone has needed financial backing to race and fund their career. Beyond that, it has often been said that Stroll has always had access to the best equipment available in every category he has raced. True, but tell me which father or manager wouldn’t try to provide their son or driver with the best resources possible. Stroll won titles in junior series just like all the others did—on the track. And regarding the fact that his father protects him completely, I would say to those who say this without much thought: why don’t you try racing every weekend against drivers like Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, or Fernando Alonso? These are multiple world champions or, at the very least, legendary drivers. To be at their level, you must always give your best version of yourself every single race weekend, and mentally, that is not easy.”