On Thursday the worst-kept secret in the paddock was confirmed as Lance Stroll will partner Valtteri Bottas at Williams in 2017.
The Euro F3 champion’s promotion from developmental driver to a race seat has caused the same stir that Max Verstappen’s move did when he was announced back in 2014.
Yet, while Verstappen was hailed as the next big thing, Stroll’s arrival has been met with greater scepticism despite the Canadian doing what the now Red Bull driver couldn’t do and actually win the F3 championship.
Much of that is because of the large financial backing the 18-year-old will bring courtesy of his father Lawrence Stroll, yet given his actual racing credentials, there is no reason to doubt Lance is worthy of his opportunity.
Twitter: Smiles all round for @lance_stroll, Claire and @ValtteriBottas! #WeAreRacing #F1 https://t.co/DhicJOPX0I (@WilliamsRacing)
In fact, in my opinion, what Stroll will do is actually increase the pressure on Bottas next season.
There will be a level of expectation his new teammate will have to meet and surpass but for the Finn, this is his moment to finally step up to the plate.
2017 will mark his fifth season with Williams and in several ways he’s actually coming off his two worst years with the team.
In 2013, the team was nowhere near the level it has been since the switch to Mercedes and turbo hybrid power units a year later, but Bottas was still able to get noticed in his rookie season, particularly after he qualified third for the Canadian Grand Prix in a wet qualifying session.
When the team did return to greater competitiveness in 2014, Bottas was one of the breakout stars as he scored six podium finishes and was fourth in the championship. He would also outscore his then new teammate Felipe Massa by 52 points.
The last two years haven’t been quite as good for Williams and Bottas has not shown quite the star power he had promised despite still beating the Brazilian in the standings.
Some of that, he admitted, was a result of speculation linking him with a Ferrari seat, replacing Kimi Raikkonen, but since then several other drivers have become more legitimate contenders.
Names like Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Pascal Wehrlein and others have all been tipped for future seats at top teams and Bottas has sort of been left out of the conversation.
Now, though, new rules coming for next season could allow Williams the chance to compete with its engine supplier, Mercedes, and others as the shift back to a more aero-dependent sport can take some control away from manufacturer teams.
That means Bottas is the man who will have to lead Williams forward. He will have to once again reaffirm that he can be a future world champion and can hang with the very best in the game.
If Stroll comes in and is able to match the former GP3 champion pretty quickly then that is when serious questions will start to be asked about the Finn’s ability.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t expect Stroll to be a greater threat to Bottas than Massa has been. The young Canadian is hungry and eager to prove his doubters wrong, therefore, it’s a scenario quite similar to that Fernando Alonso may find at McLaren when Stoffel Vandoorne steps in next year.
But Bottas should be consistently ahead of Stroll and he should be consistently ahead of him by a reasonable margin.
Let’s not forget as well, if Williams are a little behind, we may be talking this time next year of a seat being free at Ferrari, maybe another at Mercedes and potentially at McLaren, all of which could offer Bottas the chance to compete for titles.
So, if the Finn wants to get back into the conversation regarding possible candidates for those highly coveted drives, he has plenty to do next season and beating Stroll comprehensively is just the first step.
