Lance Stroll has hit back at those who believe his pending move to Force India is only because his father Lawrence is now the owner of the team.
The Canadian is expected to leave Williams to join the Silverstone squad potentially from the Singapore Grand Prix and was at the factory for what was thought to be a seat-fitting on Tuesday.
When he does, Esteban Ocon is thought to be the driver he will replace and that hasn’t sat well with anyone, including Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel who defended him at Spa.
However, the 19-year-old insists the perception being created is not is totally reflective of the actual situation, even if Ocon is the likely victim.
“I’m not arguing that point, but my results and what I’ve done in the past should have been acknowledged a little bit more,” he said in an interview with The Telegraph.
“It’s very harsh. Sometimes a footballer has more ability, potentially, than another. It just happens to be that one gets thrown in a shitty club, and another with less ability gets a great pay cheque at a better club.
“I’m not disagreeing that the system isn’t entirely fair all the time but I deserve more than just mention of the money that’s behind me. And it’s not entirely my father.”
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Stroll has achieved success in every category he has raced in, including a dominant European F3 championship in 2016 and others have pointed to his championship result last year, finishing just three points behind Felipe Massa.
And he concluded by suggesting the furore around his own future is masking the potential Force India now has with his father in charge.
“Potentially, my father buying this team can make it a much better team, much more competitive. It’s not, in my eyes, a big negative,” he said.
“From Esteban’s point of view, it’s triggered towards me because of my father’s involvement in Force India. Drivers from certain backgrounds will have their view on how things should be. Drivers with financial backing will think otherwise.
“If he takes me to Force India, that’s his choice, and I understand that for Esteban, that might not be great or fair, but I think that I deserve to be recognised more for the results I’ve achieved. I wanted to get that off my chest.”
