Aston Martin Ambassador Defends Lance Stroll Amidst Criticism

Pedro de la Rosa, an Aston Martin Formula 1 ambassador and former racer, has publicly defended driver Lance Stroll, who is dating Israeli model Yael Shelbia. De la Rosa described Stroll as "incredibly fast" and "underrated," particularly in cornering. He acknowledged that Stroll sometimes makes small errors that impact his entire race weekend, especially in qualifying, but noted that Stroll occasionally outperforms his veteran teammate, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who is 45.

De la Rosa expressed confidence that Stroll's performance will improve as the car does. "When we improve the car, make it more driver-friendly, he will be as fast as Fernando. No doubt," he stated during the "Beyond The Grid" podcast. This support comes as Stroll has finished only four races this season, with his best result being 13th place.

Stroll, 25, is currently the second driver on the Aston Martin team alongside Alonso. Despite his struggles this season, including qualifying challenges, de la Rosa believes Stroll is not sufficiently appreciated and will show his true potential with a better car.