Teenager Lance Stroll recently replaced Brazilian veteran Felipe Massa in the team’s line-up and the 18-year-old driver is all set to make his debut for Williams as Formula One’s latest hotshot next season. Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 world champion is still thinking whether the teenager will be able to handle the pressure or not in his debut. Lance is the first Canadian to start a Grand Prix since Villeneuve retired in 2006.
Villeneuve said told Reuters in an interview about Lance “I don’t know if you have pressure when you are 18 or 19. I don’t think you realise. The pressure comes later when you actually realise what you are getting into,”At 18, 19 you are still playing even though you’re doing it professionally,” “It’s not the same kind of pressure. The 45-year-old champion added, “The pressure is there if there’s a chance of you not having a career out of it which is not really a risk for him.”
Stroll won this year’s Formula Three title and follows in the footsteps of 19-year-old Dutch sensation Max Verstappen who is a race winner with Red Bull in his second season. As off yet the Canadian’s career to date has been financed by his billionaire father Lawrence who made a fortune from his famous fashion brands Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors.
Team Williams have shown great confidence in this youngster who won his junior championship in October with four races to spare and have earned his place on merit. Villeneuve clearly stated that there is no substitute for talent and said Stroll certainly had the potential and time would answer other questions. He further said “We know he’s quick but we don’t know what his mettle is,”
“We don’t know when the going gets tough, and it will, what will happen. How will he react psychologically? That’s the only thing we don’t know. “He’s with a good team, Williams is a good place to start. He will be well looked after and he can really become good. All we know is he’s been quick so we’ll see. The opportunity is there. It’s too early to criticise him.”
“Times have changed,” said Villeneuve who made his grand Prix debut at 24.
“Look at Verstappen. He wasn’t Formula Three champion and look at what he’s doing now. The whole environment has changed and you don’t need the same big background anymore to perform in Formula One.”
