Jacques Villeneuve believes that Lance Stroll's involvement will have to be total at Aston Martin F1 if he is to aim for the world title that his father Lawrence hopes to bring him. The 1997 world champion rubbed shoulders with Adrian Newey, who will join Aston, and he recalls that the drivers will have a role to play with the engineer.
“Adrian Newey cannot design a car alone” Villeneuve said. “He needs the opinion of the pilots. He needs the opinion of the right pilot and the right people around him, which he will build over time. The factory that has been built seems to be extraordinary , but it takes time for the blower to work properly.”
“It will take time. But Newey will get there in time. Lawrence's goal [Stroll] is to ensure that his son becomes world champion. That’s why he’s investing so much money. That's why he does all this. Can this happen? Who knows?”
According to Villeneuve, Stroll needs to improve his public image, and this will help him gain more support: “Should Lance improve his image? It's important to be liked in this industry. If you win every race like [Max] Verstappen, maybe you can be loved a little less.”
“But at some point it backfires. When you're liked, you end up going faster because everyone behind you is pushing you, helping you. It's the same thing with mechanics. It's general energy. It is therefore important that Lance improves his image in the media.
