"Find a different hobby" - Lance Stroll advised by former F1 driver after being outqualified by out-of-shape teammate

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks Lance Stroll should consider finding another job after being shown up by Nico Hulkenberg in the season opener in Bahrain on Sunday. In qualifying, Hulkenberg was quicker than Stroll by three-tenths of a second. For the majority of the race, the German was far ahead of the Canadian. He, however, had to drop down to P17 following a difficult restart after the safety car.

Speaking in a video on Sport1 after the Bahrain GP, Schumacher said:

“[Lance] Stroll should ask himself about whether he should find a different hobby, it was really embarrassing. Nico [Hulkenberg] did a good job.”

Schumacher praised Hulkenberg, who was racing for the first time since the 2020 season, after filling in for Sebastian Vettel, who tested positive for COVID-19 on the eve of the race weekend.

The former German driver revealed the Aston Martin car is underwhelming and owner Lawrence Stroll has been present in all the strategy meetings. Revealing the ongoings inside the Aston Martin team, Schumacher said:

“The new Aston Martin car is a disaster. Also, I have heard that the new owner is present at the meetings and says how things should be. In that case, everything is going to be very complicated for them.”

The Canadian billionaire’s involvement in the functioning of the team could complicate matters ahead, according to the German F1 driver-turned-TV pundit.

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Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Aston Martin have forgotten how to design a car

Apart from Ralf Schumacher’s critical assessment of Lance Stroll, 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve also had a similar negative assessment of the Silverstone-based team. The Canadian champion believes Aston Martin has forgotten the art of designing a car, after two seasons of replicating the Mercedes car.

Commenting on Aston Martin’s form in 2022, Villeneuve said:

“I had less expectations of Aston Martin, they copied a Mercedes for years. It’s like they don’t know how to design a car anymore! The car doesn’t look good. To compete at the top you need more than ambition and money, Formula 1 is a special sport. It’s not just about marketing and branding.”

After the Silverstone team transitioned from Force India to Racing Point and now to Aston Martin under Lawrence Stroll’s ownership, they have often received assistance from Mercedes when it comes to their car design. In 2020 and 2021, their car was called the "Pink Mercedes" and lacked originality in design. The Canadian champion believes Aston Martin will have to evolve beyond ambition, money, marketing, and branding to succeed in the sport.