Stroll says "funny" criticism not adding extra pressure

Lance Stroll insists that he is taking his rookie F1 season with Williams race by race, and says that he regards the criticism that he has faced as "funny."

Esteban Ocon, Force India, Lance Stroll, Williams

Stroll is yet to score a point in five races, while teammate Felipe Massa has finished in the points three times, having also outqualified the rookie in all events.

But the Canadian reckons that he is not under any extra pressure to perform, despite the difficult start to his campaign, and ongoing struggle to match Massa.

"It's the same pressure as always, the pressure you put on yourself to come out and compete and do well," Stroll said in Monaco.

"It's F1, and there's obviously pressure, but nothing more than in the past. I've got to take it race by race and focus on what you can do. The rest is kind of out of your control.

"I won my championships to get here, I'm here and it's my first five races, and it's been a bit tricky. It doesn't just change everything. There's still a long season ahead of me."

Stroll said that whatever he does, some people will always be negative given that he comes from a wealthy family.

"Obviously I come from a background that when I win, people try and put me down, and when I lose, people try and put me down. I accept that and I actually find it kind of funny.

"But whatever, that's out of my control, I'm focussed on what I'm doing, I'm enjoying my time in F1, I'm enjoying the experience, I'm here competing at 18 years old and it's very special. I'm just taking it race by race."

Williams technical boss Paddy Lowe has acknowledged that Stroll has a lot of weight on his shoulders, and that the team was aware that it had to address that.

"One of the very difficult things for Lance is the enormous pressure placed upon him," said Lowe.

"He's a driver with a lot of expectation around him, not just from people close to him, but even more from across the paddock, because there's a lot of spotlight on how he got here, and does he really deserve the drive, and all of those things.

"Of course racing drivers are by their nature super competitive, so they're the best or the worst at beating themselves up if they don't think they're performing as they should.

"That cascades and creates its own pressure for him even if there is not enough from outside. It's a good question that there are no easy answers to. How do you undo that pressure?"