Pressure piling up on ’worst’ F1 driver Stroll

The pressure is piling on the shoulders of Lance Stroll.

Daniel Ricciardo, struggling to hang onto his Formula 1 career, lost control of his tongue in Shanghai when talking to reporters about being rear-ended by Stroll’s Aston Martin behind the safety car.

"I slowly started to calm down and then I was told what Lance thinks of it," the Australian said. "Apparently, I’m an idiot and it was my fault, so that made my blood boil because it’s clear as day and it’s also behind a safety car.

"So I’m doing my best not to say what I want to say, but f**k that guy - and I’m still being nice."

Although Stroll, 25, is the son of billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll, he is yet to be officially confirmed for 2025 - even though Fernando Alonso’s tenure has been extended for at least two more years.

Jason Watt, a Danish racing driver, is clear: "Give him the sack immediately."

He said Alonso is "driving alongside the worst driver in the field, in my eyes."

Another racing driver, Toni Vilander, called Stroll’s "attitude" in response to the Ricciardo scenario "annoying".

"He is indifferent to the whole situation," the Finn said on Viaplay. "There is actually nothing to discuss - totally Stroll’s fault. He completely misjudged the situation because he was not awake.

"It would be a lot easier to get out of that situation if you said, like Kimi (Raikkonen) would, ’I crashed, sorry, my fault’."

As for Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack, he predictably backed his drivers and slammed the stewards for the penalties imposed on Stroll.

"The stewards have been tough on Lance and Fernando recently," he told Sky Deutschland. "We had it in Melbourne, we had it with Lance - a very, very quick verdict today without really understanding.

"I think it was very, very fast and very hard decision. That’s how things are."