Aug.29 (GMM) Lance Stroll admits it will not be “entirely fair” if he takes over Esteban Ocon’s place at Force India.
French broadcaster Canal Plus caught a conversation in French between Ocon and Sebastian Vettel at Spa.
Ocon, 21, told the Ferrari driver he is losing his seat at Force India because one driver “bought the team” while the other “brings the money”.
It is believed Stroll, whose father Lawrence led the Force India takeover, will join almost immediately, following a seat fitting at the Silverstone factory this week.
Currently a Williams driver, 19-year-old Stroll admits ousting the talented Ocon mid-season is not a good look.
“I’m not arguing that point, but my results and what I’ve done in the past should be acknowledged a little bit more,” he told the Telegraph.
“I’m not disagreeing that the system isn’t entirely fair all the time. But I deserve more than just a mention of the money that’s behind me,” Stroll added.
In fact, he argues that the arrival of his father, billionaire fashion mogul Lawrence Stroll, is only good news for Force India.
“Potentially, my father buying this team can make it a much better team, much more competitive. It’s not, in my eyes, a big negative,” he said.
“From Esteban’s point of view, it’s triggered towards me, because my father’s involved in Force India. Drivers from certain backgrounds will have their view on how things should be. Drivers with financial backing will think otherwise,” Stroll added.
“If he (Lawrence) takes me to Force India, that’s his choice, and I understand that for Esteban, that might not be great or fair,” he said.
“But I think that I deserve to be recognised more for the results I’ve achieved. I wanted to get that off my chest.”