Lance Stroll: Canadian teenager set to become youngest F1 driver after joining Williams for 2017 season
Stroll, who turned only 18 last week, will replace Felipe Massa with the Brazilian to call time on his career at the end of the season
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Canadian Lance Stroll will become Formula One's youngest driver on the grid next season after being unveiled by Williams for the 2017 campaign.
Stroll, who turned only 18 last week, will replace Felipe Massa with the Brazilian to call time on his career at the end of the season.
Stroll, the first Canadian to take to the grid since 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve departed the sport more a decade ago, will team up with Valtteri Bottas.
The Finnish driver will race for Williams for a fifth successive term.
Stroll, who is yet to obtain his road licence, dominated this year's Formula Three championship, winning the series by more than 100 points. He becomes the sport's youngest driver since Dutchman Max Verstappen made his debut, aged 17, last year.
"To be racing in Formula One in 2017 is incredible," Stroll said. "I can't thank Williams enough for showing faith in my ability.
"Racing in F1 was something I dreamt about as a young kid. When I began karting seriously, F1 was then the ultimate goal and especially when I started racing cars in 2014.
"2017 is going to be a big learning curve for me, but I'm eager to absorb everything Williams can share with me so that I improve.
"I'll be taking things on a race-by-race, lap-by-lap basis and hopefully progress with experience like I did when I entered Formula Four and then Formula Three."
Claire Williams, deputy team principal, added: "Lance joined the Williams Young Driver Programme at the end of 2015 and has impressed our engineers with his maturity, talent and enthusiasm.
"We are pleased to be able to offer him the opportunity to step up and show what he can do in Formula One, after proving a dominant force in all the categories he has raced in so far.
"He is still young, and we looking forward to seeing him develop as a driver. Williams has a great record of introducing young drivers to Formula One, who have achieved great results, and we hope this will be the start of a long successful career for Lance as well."
The youngster’s career has so far been bankrolled by his businessman father Lawrence, who is said to be worth more than £2bn after investing in fashion labels Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors.
But Lance insisted he has earned his shot in Formula One.
"I come from money and I am not going to deny that, but I believe I earned my shot in F1 because I have won every championship that I have competed in," Stroll, the reigning Formula Three title holder, said at Williams' headquarters in Oxfordshire on Thursday.
"Now, the FIA has put in the superlicence for just that reason so people can't just buy their way into F1. You have to prove yourself and win in junior categories.
"I don't want to say when exactly I will be able to show everyone that I am not just here for money because that depends on so many other things and so many details.
"But I am just going to worry about my business and I am here today, and very happy to be joining Williams and looking forward to the 2017 season."
PA.
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