Lance Stroll tries to knock Fernando Alonso down a peg with pointed message | F1 | Sport

Lance Stroll has insisted that he should be considered on an equal footing with Fernando Alonso based on recent results. The Canadian driver finished 132 points behind his Aston Martin team-mate last season and sits 22 points adrift of Alonso in the current standings.

Alonso is widely thought of as the better driver, having won two Drivers’ Championship titles and earned 32 race victories during his lengthy F1 career. Stroll, meanwhile, has never won a Grand Prix and has only been on the podium three times since making his debut in 2017.

However, the 25-year-old is taking satisfaction from his improved performances alongside Alonso this year and believes he is just as good as the Spaniard on his day.

Speaking ahead of his home race in Canada this weekend, Stroll said: “When I look at pace and speed right now against Fernando, he’s a two-time world champion and people see him as a top driver in Formula One and it’s 4-4 in qualifying.

“The points are a little bit deceiving because sometimes one guy can have an engine failure. That sometimes differentiates the points at the end of the season. I look at my last few weekends and I think they’ve been strong.

“When I look at pace right now, and speed, like I said, 4-4 in qualifying. People say he’s super good and I beat him the last few weekends, so take it as you want.”

Stroll will certainly be hoping to back up his fighting talk by outperforming Alonso at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. Owing to his father’s ownership of Aston Martin, he will be able to count on their continued support regardless of how he performs for the rest of the season.

Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa recently said he believes Stroll is on the verge of an ‘explosion of talent’ despite it being nearly four years since he last stood on the podium.

“He’s just unreal how much potential he has,” De la Rosa told RacingNews365. “When you compare him against Fernando, there are corners where Lance is quicker.

“He’s learning a lot with Fernando, they work together very well, and it’s just a matter of time before we see the best Lance and a big explosion of talent. The moment he puts everything together, he will be outstanding.”