Lance Stroll discusses F1 enjoyment as trainer relations clarified after Qatar clash

Lance Stroll insists he and trainer Henry Howe are “cool” following their tense exchange in Qatar, while Stroll says he is still enjoying Formula 1 despite being in a “rut” currently.

Stroll picked up a great deal of negative attention following his reaction to a fourth Q1 elimination on the bounce in Qatar on Friday, as the Aston Martin driver got physical with his trainer Henry Howe.

As Stroll exited the Aston Martin cockpit, he pushed past Howe before appearing to then push him at the back of the team garage.

Lance Stroll and Henry Howe are “cool”

Sky F1’s pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz claimed that Stroll has apologised for his actions, with Stroll confirming to media in Qatar that he and his trainer remain on good terms.

“We’re good,” Stroll confirmed. “He’s a bro. We go through the frustration together and we ride together. So, we’re cool.”

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Stroll’s struggles up against Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso have led to speculation over Stroll’s desire to remain in Formula 1, with this extreme reaction on Friday only fuelling the rumours that he and his father, Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll,could be on their way to the F1 exit door.

Stroll made it clear though that he still enjoys being a Formula 1 driver, even if right now he is in a “rut” which is proving very tricky to escape.

“Yeah, for sure,” he replied when asked if he is still enjoying Formula 1? “I’m just struggling with the car and just getting to grips with the balance, and I’m just not able to extract performance from it right now, which is difficult and frustrating.

“We’re in a rut and it’s not getting better. Frustration is just I think in the whole group right now. I mean, we want to do better, we want to get better. But it’s just a struggle right now.

“I just feel like I can’t really lean on the car and drive it with confidence without mishaps and understeer. And just the balance that I really don’t particularly enjoy driving.”

Stroll faces another difficult task on Sunday as he prepares to launch from P17 for the Qatar Grand Prix, on a weekend where he and Aston Martin need to put points on the board.

Stroll has scored only 47 points to Alonso’s 174, while McLaren are now only 35 points behind Aston Martin in the battle for P4 in theConstructors’ Championship.

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