Being a Formula 1 driver is something thousands of people dream of doing, but it doesn’t mean that every aspect of the job is positive.
Max Verstappen admitted that drivers would get ill at the end of last season due to the demanding schedule.
The Formula 1 season now runs for 24 races, with the campaign finishing with a triple-header across two different continents.
The mood in the paddock at the Hungarian Grand Prix among the drivers was mixed to say the least.
Lando Norris was delighted to have won the race, while Oscar Piastri would have been frustrated that another victory slipped away from him.
Charles Leclerc was furious that he somehow lost the race, and Lewis Hamilton suggested Ferrari should change drivers after a disappointing qualifying performance.
However, there are other drivers in the paddock that have had a much tougher time over the past few years.
Veteran F1 journalist Reginaldo Leme has been speaking about one current racer who had to be ‘convinced’ not to retire in 2023, and might end up questioning his position on the grid at the end of next season.
READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Photo by Kym Illman/Getty ImagesAston Martin star Lance Stroll had to be ‘convinced’ not to retire in the 2023 Formula 1 season
Leme was talking about Aston Martin’s future with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso in their cars.
He explained: “Now, Adrian Newey, I have no doubt that Adrian Newey is getting his hands dirty.
“And I don’t know, he gets his hands dirty, and he’s thinking about the 2026 car, of course.
“Imagine the work he has. But what if the first car of the Adrian Newey era is a winning car?
Photo by Luca Martini/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
“And I think that if the car, in any case, even if it’s a good car, and Lance Stroll doesn’t deliver, Stroll will want to leave.
“And if the car doesn’t deliver, then he’s out. What I also learned is that Stroll has already expressed a desire to stop since 2023.
“In 2024, he repeated this, and on neither occasion did his father allow it; his father convinced him to stay.”
READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage
What does Lance Stroll’s Formula 1 future look like at Aston Martin?
Stroll made his Formula 1 debut in 2017, jumping straight from Formula 3 after winning the championship with Prema.
He scored his first podium that season, but has only added two more to his tally across nine seasons.
Stroll’s only pole position came at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, and that 2023 campaign was the only time he’s ever finished in the top 10 of the drivers’ championship so far.
Alonso scored eight podiums that season, while Stroll failed to record a single top-three finish, which might have played a role in his wanting to walk away from Formula 1.
The 2025 F1 teammate head-to-head battle of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso
His father, Lawrence Stroll, is hoping Aston Martin can build a car next year capable of giving Lance a chance to win not only his first race but his first championship.
Stroll signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin last year, but in reality, he can continue racing for as long as he likes, given his father’s position in the team.
Aston Martin have been linked with Max Verstappen, but it’s more likely that Alonso makes way for the four-time world champion.
If Aston Martin’s 2026 car isn’t a world beater, then Leme believes that Stroll could walk away.
Where that leaves the team is another question entirely, as Stroll Sr’s commitment to the project might wane, even if he’s capable of bringing in the strongest upgrade possible.