Former Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve wants Lance Stroll to move from Williams to Force India as soon as the Belgian Grand Prix.
Last week, the news that the Canadian’s father Lawrence has backed a takeover of the Silverstone-based team instantly led many to assume he’ll be making the same move, likely at the end of the season.
However, with Stroll Sr. in control now, the outspoken pundit for Sky Italia sees no reason to wait that long.
“Lance should finish the season at Force India. He should not wait. He should drive in Belgium at the end of the month,” he told Le Journal de Montreal.
“The car is better and he would be able to get a head start on next year, and improve his driving style with Force India’s engineers.”
Of course, to do that, would mean having to oust either Sergio Perez or Esteban Ocon from their current seat.
“Anything can be done in F1,” Villeneuve insisted. “We’ve seen it in the past. Contracts can be bought. Driver changes during the season are doable.”
Certainly, the opportunity to move up the grid from a Williams team that sits bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with just four points, all of which Stroll earned in Baku, would be very welcome for the frustrated from European F3 champion.
“This sport is a love-hate relationship and you have to have pride in the difficult times,” Lance recently told Motorsport.com.
“You have to reflect on the past and know that there were good times, and [believe there are] good times ahead.
“You have to ride the rollercoaster. That’s what F1 is. This sport changes all the time and it’s just about being there and waiting for your moment to shine.”
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As for the team with which he won his world title, Villeneuve maintains a position he took earlier this summer that Williams is on its death bed.
“The loss not only of Lawrence but also the sponsor (Martini) is probably the final nail in the coffin,” he stated.
“They’ll then lose a lot of TV rights because they’ll be at the bottom of the championship. Even pay drivers won’t want to spend money there.”
At Force India though, he predicts things will be very different for the Strolls.
“The organisation is better than Williams. They only stopped developing this year because they can’t afford it,” Jacques said.
“Lawrence has always made brands grow. It’s one of his strengths. He couldn’t do it at Williams because he was not the owner, but his influence will be greater at Force India.
“He will help them. Force India remained a racing team, unlike Williams,” he added.
