The
recently-formed Ferrari Driver Academy has taken
on a prospective new talent, this time coming from
Canada. At just eleven years of age, Lance Stroll, born
on 29 October 1998 in Montreal (Quebec), is the youngest
driver so far to enter the new Maranello program.
Although very young,
Stroll’s karting curriculum is already impressive enough
to have attracted the attention of the talent scouts at
the Ferrari Driving Academy: already on his
record are two wins in the Canadian national
championship, in the Rotax Mini Max category, as well as
Coupe de Montreal and Coupe du Quebec Micro Max
Championship in 2008 and both Mini Max Championships in
2009.
Last year, Stroll
finished sixth in the karting World Finals at Lonato in
the Mini Roc category and placed second in the Rotax
Micro Max Florida Winter Tour, a series he won this year
in Mini Max along with the championships for the
Tag/Cadet Florida Winter Tour. It is no surprise
therefore that Stroll was nominated by the Fedération
Sport Automobile du Quebec as Rookie of the Year
in 2008 and Driver of the Year the following
year.
“We are pleased to
welcome Lance to our group,” commented Scuderia engineer
Luca Baldisserri, who oversees the new Ferrari
Driving Academy programme. “He is very young, but he
has already shown in karting that he is exceptionally
talented. We will follow him step by step in his
forthcoming events in North America and he will soon
also take part in our courses at Maranello.” Ferrari,
adds that its long and illustrious history in Formula
One would never have happened if it didn’t have a slew
of excellent drivers racing their cars: the Scuderia
has, without question, fielded some of the sports’ best
drivers. Now, the Italian supercar maker is taking its
scouting and talent development to a new level as it
formally launched the Ferrari Driver Academy.
