World champion snowboarder Scotty James has shared what the latest season of Drive to Survive missed when talking about Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll.
James is married to Lance Stroll’s sister Chloe and a close friend of the Canadian driver.
He was speaking on The Red Flags Podcast and discussed how the 25-year-old was portrayed.
Scotty James shares thoughts on Lance Stroll’s Drive to Survive episode
Drive to Survive has become one of the biggest calendar events of the year for some F1 fans, particularly as the on-track action has become somewhat predictable.
The first episode of the latest season focused on the Aston Martin team heading into the opening race in Bahrain.
That’s because just before the first Grand Prix of 2023, Lance Stroll suffered serious injuries to his wrists after a cycling accident but still drove and scored points for the team.
There was also a focus on his father Lawrence who is executive chairman of Aston Martin and some believe he’s one of the main reasons Stroll is still on the grid.
Scotty James has a close connection with the Stroll family – and fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo – and shared what he thought of the Canadian’s portrayal on Drive to Survive.
Alonso admitted during the episode that Stroll’s injuries were ‘far from ideal’ for the team but the speed at which he recovered and the lengths he went to so that he could race showed how dedicated he was to racing in Formula 1.
Stroll is very different away from Formula 1
Asked what the latest season of Drive to Survive missed about Stroll, James said: “He’s got a good sense of humour, he’s happy-go-lucky when he needs to be which is important as a sportsperson.
“But I think the show very much depicts him as being serious 100% of the time.
“I get it for him and for all the drivers, you’ve got to protect yourself because nowadays there’s nowhere to hide.
“Like, people will rip you apart for anything and when you’re competing at that high level and you’re doing a sport that’s super dangerous, like as much as you can be in the moment, present and focused on the driving.
“I have a lot of empathy for them because I think something s— happens and you’re kind of told to react in a certain way which might not be the way that you want to.
“In the case of him and some of the other drivers, you might not always see the full character because they’re not wanting to be their own person, it’s almost like they protect themselves from what could happen.”
Drive to Survive is designed to entertain as well as document what happens in Formula 1, and it’s no surprise that James sees a very different side to Stroll away from the track.
The Canadian may be under pressure though after his crash in Saudi Arabia and the constant gap between him and Alonso.
Eddie Jordan has suggested that his results this year haven’t been good enough but he has the opportunity to change that in Australia this weekend.
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