Gunther Steiner, harsh remarks on Lance Stroll: “He doesn’t want to be an F1 driver; he’s simply non-existent”. Gunther Steiner did not hold back in his criticism of Lance Stroll and his performance in Formula 1.

According to Günther Steiner, if Lance Stroll’s father weren’t the owner of Aston Martin, the Canadian driver wouldn’t be in Formula 1. Gunther Steiner shared this blunt opinion following Lance Stroll’s disastrous performance at the Brazilian GP.

A nightmare in the Brazilian Grand Prix
The Sunday at Interlagos was one to forget for Lance Stroll. His troubles began with a crash during the Sunday morning qualifying session on a rain-soaked track, causing significant damage to his AMR24.

Despite the challenges, Aston Martin‘s mechanics managed to repair the car in time for Stroll to start from 10th on the grid. However, he didn’t even make it to the green lights. During the formation lap, he lost control of his car, crashing into a barrier. In an attempt to return to the track, he became stuck in the wet gravel.

For Steiner, the pressure got the better of him: “The pressure got to his head. He knew he’d done something stupid on the formation lap, and then he lost control of everything else. It’s like a brain fart,” Gunther Steiner commented on the *Red Flag* podcast.

Lance Stroll doesn’t want to be an F1 driver
Steiner’s critique didn’t stop at the Brazil incident; he also made a broader accusation, suggesting that Stroll is uninterested in being an F1 driver.

“He never seems happy, no matter what happens,” said the former Haas boss. “If it weren’t for his father, I don’t think he’d be in F1. Not because he couldn’t find a seat, but because he doesn’t want to be there.”

The South Tyrolean manager believes that Stroll is a driver who goes unnoticed regardless of his results. “He doesn’t get much criticism; he doesn’t get much praise. He’s simply non-existent. He doesn’t need to drive a race car; financially, he’s fine. Maybe that’s the problem. If the car isn’t competitive, he just seems to wait for the next season.”

Talented but invisible
Despite the criticism, Gunther Steiner doesn’t consider Lance Stroll a bad driver but highlights his lack of visibility in the F1 landscape: “I don’t know him; I’ve never spoken to him, so I have no idea. He’s one of those guys who rarely gets talked about when he’s in the points. And even less so when he’s not. He’s just there. If I hadn’t brought him up, I wouldn’t even have known he raced last weekend. I have to check the stats because he’s invisible. He was never young; he’ll never be old. He’ll just be there. He’s above the rules.” – the former Haas team principal concluded.