Lance Stroll has acknowledged surpassing Jacques Villeneuve to become the most experienced Canadian driver in Formula 1 history but insists it's not a milestone he's particularly proud of.
The Aston Martin driver marked his 166th race start at the Brazilian GP, moving past Villeneuve's career total. However, Stroll admitted to Le Journal de Montreal in Las Vegas that he wasn't aware of the record at the time.
"I had no idea I was on par with him," said the 26-year-old, who, unlike Villeneuve, has yet to win a race during his eight seasons on the grid.
Stroll noted that the comparison isn't entirely fair due to the increasing number of races on modern F1 calendars. "We have a lot more races in F1 these days," he pointed out.
Reflecting on his career, Stroll said longevity alone isn't something that fills him with pride. "You can always do things differently and better," he admitted. "Competitive cars always help you do better, that's for sure."
Aston Martin's performance has been under scrutiny following a steep decline in car development since a strong start to the 2023 season. Stroll, too, faced criticism for spinning into retirement on the formation lap in Brazil last time out.
"I enjoy the weekends with fast cars in which I felt good and which were nice to cross the finish line in a good position," he said. "I have also been in the other situation with bad cars and bad races."
Looking ahead, Stroll expressed optimism about Aston Martin's future, especially following recent changes to the team's technical structure, including the replacement of Dan Fallows by Adrian Newey from early 2025.
"I'm looking to the future," he said. "I want to be more competitive and I want the team to be more competitive too. That was the case at the beginning of last season when we were fighting in the leading pack. With the ambitions we have, we can fight for victories in the future."
