Formula 1: 3 possible replacements for Lance Stroll in 2024
By Asher Fair
Possible Lance Stroll replacements: No. 2 – Stoffel Vandoorne
The addition of Stoffel Vandoorne would create a “blast from the past” type of moment at Aston Martin, as Vandoorne and Fernando Alonso were teammates at McLaren in 2017 and 2018.
Since then, a lot has happened. Vandoorne was released and ended up becoming a world champion in Formula E, while Alonso has retired, spent two years out of Formula 1, returned, and now switched teams after two years at Alpine.
Vandoorne is far from “out of sight, out of mind” like you might expect from a former Formula 1 driver who wasn’t all that impressive during his two years in the sport. Like Felipe Drugovich, he currently serves as an Aston Martin reserve driver, and his motorsport career as a whole has come a long way since his most recent Grand Prix start.
Alonso did beat Vandoorne rather comfortably, more so in 2018, driving for a relatively weak McLaren team, but the two got along well together and Vandoorne’s progression since then would all but ensure a closer battle — or at least closer than the “battle” between Alonso and Lance Stroll.
The 31-year-old Belgian is currently lined up to compete for DS Penske again in the 2023-24 Formula E season, but the fact that he has been on hand for multiple Formula 1 race weekends in 2023 indicate that if the opportunity were to arise, he could put that on hold.