Lance Stroll, just like Max Verstappen, is making a foray into GT3 racing. During the weekend of the cancelled Bahrain GP, the Canadian will travel to the French Circuit Paul Ricard and get behind the wheel of an Aston Martin for his first six-hour race. Stroll is not the first Formula 1 driver to get a taste of GT3 racing; Max Verstappen preceded him. The Canadian therefore also approached the Dutchman for advice.
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Lance Stroll is following in Max Verstappen’s footsteps and will make his GT3 debut on the weekend of 11 and 12 April. The Canadian will take his place behind the wheel of an Aston Martin during the opening race of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Circuit Paul Ricard in France. Stroll shares the GT3 car with former Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi and Aston Martin Academy driver Mari Boya. Earlier, Max Verstappen already announced that he would participate in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring for the first time this year, after having already driven several NLS races.
The idea to participate in the GT3 race arose not so long ago for Stroll. It was only during the Grand Prix weekend in Japan that the Aston Martin driver decided to travel to Paul Ricard. “We already had the idea to do a GT race together,” Stroll told Speedcafe. “That’s where the idea originated, in Japan.” The Canadian driver then asked expert Verstappen for advice.
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“We talked about who you should contact about it, because he is already known in GT racing. We talked about it a bit,” confirms Stroll, who also immediately thanked Jean-Michael Beart, team principal of Stroll’s one-off team Comtoyou. “Without him it wouldn’t have been possible. We really organized it in a few days while we were in Japan.”
Victory
Despite Stroll participating in a GT race at Paul Ricard for the first time, he has already set his sights on victory in the six-hour race. “In Formula 1 you don’t always get the chance to win,” he says. “The competition here is huge, but even if it’s our first time and we lack experience, if everything falls into place – a good setup, a good feeling – then winning is possible. That doesn’t really exist in Formula 1. That is also a big motivation for me to be here.”
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