Lance Stroll confirmed at Force India

It was an open secret since last summer and the takeover of Sahara Force India by the Racing Point consortium led by fashion mogul Lawrence Stroll. His son Lance, who rode at Williams in 2017 and 2018, will be the teammate of the Mexican Sergio Pérez from the 2019 season. 

Since his arrival in the premier category following his European Championship title F3, the young Canadian has 41 Grand Prix starts with his best result being a 3rd place acquired in Baku in 2017 as well as a front row start at Monza that year.

This season, Stroll has scored six of Williams' seven points at the end of a nightmare season in terms of performance. Barely had the curtain fallen on the 2018 campaign when the Montreal native appeared in his new colors as part of the Pirelli post-season testing. 

« Our 2019 driver duo represents the perfect blend of talent, youth, and experience, said Otmar Szafnauer, CEO of Racing Point Force India. We believe that Lance's potential is immense and we are convinced that we will be able to create an environment conducive to his development.

Our team has always been able to help young pilots in their training. I take this opportunity to thank Esteban Ocon for his contribution to the team over the past two seasons and wish him the best for the future ». 

The official press release specifies that Lance Stroll is committed to Racing Point Force India on a long-term basis. Given the new recruit's connections with senior management, the opposite would have surprised us.