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Lance Stroll wants his new Williams Formula 1 team-mate to be a “team player“, but has no preference on who it is.
Williams insists no decision has been made on who will replace Felipe Massa for 2018, with Robert Kubica the favourite and Sauber’s Pascal Wehrlein, former Toro Rosso racer Daniil Kvyat and Williams reserve driver Paul di Resta also in contention.
Kubica will take part in next week’s Pirelli tyre test in Abu Dhabi for Williams, alongside Stroll and Renault reserve driver Sergey Sirotkin.
“You just want a team player,” said Stroll. “At the end of the day you just drive your car, that’s kind of what you have to focus on: yourself, and what’s going on on your side of the garage.
“Of course it’s always good to have a good relationship, and you never want to have kind of a negative battle – you don’t want the team to start splitting up in any way, I think that’s the most important thing.
“You obviously want someone pushing you all the time, someone competitive at the top of their game, so you can become a better driver.
“At the end of the day it pretty much comes down to what Williams wants to do.”
Stroll has yet to meet Kubica, who he called a “great talent“ before the rally accident that left the Pole with serious injuries.
“I have never met him,“ said Stroll. “Everyone knows that he was one of the best around.
“I don’t know anything else, I don’t know where he stands in terms of his fitness or his health, I don’t know the details.
“We’ll see what Williams decides to do.”
Massa believes he knows which driver the team will replace him with.
“I think I know already, I don’t need to bet anything,“ said Massa.
“I will not say. I hope the best for the team.
“I’m stopping now, so to be honest who is replacing me, it doesn’t matter for me.“