Lance Stroll delivers clear F1 future stance: 'It would bother me'

Lance Stroll has made clear he is in F1 for the long haul despite being one of the sport's most vocal critics this season.

Stroll and Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso have been left at the mercy this year of a Honda power unit woefully lacking in performance, but also one that initially vibrated and caused issues for both drivers.

Since the introduction of the new power unit, incorporating a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical energy, Stroll has been one of the system's most vocal critics.

Looking ahead to another four years of the current PU, even if tweaks are made over time, as will be the case next year with a 60-40 split, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Stroll was again condemnatory.

"It's not like we didn't see it coming," he said. "Everyone's said, for the last year and a half, or however long it's been, what everything would look like, that with these batteries and taking downforce off the cars to support the batteries and all this stuff, it was not looking good.

"Now what we've got is what we expected to have. It's probably more frustrating for Aston Martin than for Mercedes right now, but that's Formula 1. It is what it is. Hopefully, it gets better."

Stroll doesn't want to be sat on a sofa

Stroll, whose laid-back demeanour often makes it appear as if he has little interest in continuing in F1, is adamant that is far from the case.

Asked directly by RacingNews365 whether this would be his last year in F1, given his outspoken feelings on the current state of the series, he replied: "No, because I still have a lot of belief in this project, and the project is so far from our potential.

"Adrian [Newey] joined the team; we have the new factory, the new wind tunnel, and I believe this team has a lot of potential.

"I want to be a part of this team when we do get to the point I believe we're capable of getting to.

"If, in two or three years, I'm sitting on the sofa and I'm watching two green cars at the front of the field, and I'm not a part of it, it will bother me. So I want to be a part of that.

"Hopefully, as and whilst that happens, the cars do become better and more fun to drive, which all the drivers would like. It's not just me.

"Some guys can say it, some guys cannot say it because of contracts and stuff. But I do hope that these cars do get much better over the years, and we get back to nice Formula 1 cars."