Force India team boss Otmar Szafnauer believes Lance Stroll has shown the potential to be a “great driver” ahead of his expected move for 2019.
While still not officially confirmed, it is common knowledge that the Canadian will leave Williams and join the team which was bought by his father Lawrence earlier this year.
Force India themselves openly talk about Stroll and although Szafnaeur admits the relationship is still in its very early stages, he has been encouraged by previous performances.
“I don’t know him well yet, but from the outside, I’ve seen him do a good job,” he told Brazil’s Globo.
“Next to Felipe Massa he finished three points behind last year and Felipe was world champion for half a lap in 2008.
“When Sergey Sirotkin went to Williams this year, everyone told me he is very fast in qualifying, but Lance is beating him.
“All that suggests we are dealing with a great driver.”
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It has been the very poor car produced by Williams this season that has largely masked the ability of both Stroll and Sirotkin, though of the seven points scored by the Grove-based outfit six have come from the 20-year-old.
Force India also believe their history of helping young drivers will benefit Lance as he looks to once again silence the doubters.
“He’s still very young but we will help him to develop,” Szafnauer continued. “And if there is something we know how to do, it’s how to train young drivers like Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta, Jules Bianchi and others.
“We can extract the potential out of young drivers and with Lance, it will be no different.”
