"Back when I was 12": Lance Stroll on Fernando Alonso relationship that began more than a decade ago

Lance Stroll has said that his relationship with Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso started when he first met the Spaniard more than a decade ago and is built on mutual respect.

The relationship between the two drivers has grabbed eyeballs at the paddock. During the race in Baku, Stroll radioed the team early in the race that he won't attack Alonso as the Spaniard was trying to save his tyres.

Similarly, a bit later in the race, Alonso relayed his brake bias to help Stroll. During the 2023 Miami GP pre-race conference, it was revealed by Ian Parkes from the New York Times that Stroll and Alonso met for the first time more than a decade ago. When asked about his relationship with this teammate, Stroll said that it's built on respect for the kind of work and achievements Alonso has accumulated in his career.

Looking back at the first time he met Alonso, Stroll said:

"I wouldn't say we had a relationship back when I was 12. I was just a fanboy! But yeah, there's a great dynamic in the team at the moment, I definitely enjoy working alongside him, he's incredibly talented, knowledgeable, experienced, and hungry to get the most out of himself every day."

He added:

"I have a huge amount of respect for him, because he's been doing that for a long time. He's been at the top of his game for… how many years he’s been in F1 now? Like, I don't know, more than 20 years? So, I think just to see that determination and focus and motivation every day, I have a lot of respect for that."

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We have great synergy: Stroll on Fernando Alonso

Talking about Alonso, Lance Stroll said that the synergy the two drivers have between each other is top-notch and that has helped the team this season.

On his relationship with his Aston Martin teammate, Stroll said:

"And, yeah, we have a great synergy in the team and the car’s been really nice to drive. And, I think we've been having a great relationship, and the sense that we're both trying to get more out of the car, every weekend, and as a team, collectively, just trying to come up with more ideas, and just better ideas and how to improve the setup, make it even better. And I think that that dynamic has been really good."

The partnership at Aston Martin has been a surprise for many, especially since the Vettel-Stroll relationship was borderline fractious at times.