Helmet, headphones, swim shorts, sliders, paddock pass... Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll reveals why these are a few of his favourite things that he always brings to F1 races.

24 Grands Prix, 22 countries, five continents – plenty of time spent on the road. For anyone involved in Formula One, the schedule is demanding. That's why, if you dip into the travel kit of every team member, everyone's got a bunch of must-haves – essential items that mean their race weekends go a little bit smoother. 

And when you're the one behind the wheel come race day, every one of those items becomes even more important. We sat down with Lance Stroll as he took us on a tour of his racing necessities, from the things that resonate all the way back to childhood to the 'life-savers' that took him from crippling pain to points-scoring pleasure.

Helmet

"My helmet is something very close to my heart. The design has been the same since I started go-karting. I started this design with someone who was painting my helmet back in Canada when I was a kid.

"When I started, it was red, yellow, green – a lot more crazy than it is now. I played around with it a little bit over the last couple of years, but this year I kind of came back to my more traditional design.

"I realised that's my identity on the track and wanted to come back to that. It's got kind of all the same lines and the same style I've had since I started go-karting when I was eight years old. I've now just gone with the Aston Martin colours, but the rest is what I've had since day one."

Headphones

"My headphones are a very important part of my life. We're always in noisy places with engines and people and all that so when I put these on, I kind of go into my own little world and it feels good. 

"The music varies from rap to hip-hop, country to rock. It depends on ​how I'm feeling on the day. Before the race, I​ like Future, Drake, Post Malone but again, it varies and sometimes I listen to different stuff. It's my escape from the hectic world of Formula One.

"However, I try not to spend too much time on my phone. I used to spend more time on it, but now I try ​to connect a little bit more with the world around me and less with my phone. It's nice to switch all that stuff off when we're not racing.

"On Sundays when we're not racing, I put a dent in my couch and throw on Netflix, but I love my sports too. I'm a big American football fan and a big Giants fan. We've had a rough run in the last few years, but hopefully this year we can turn it around."

Swim shorts

"I love my surfing. I love snowboarding in the winter. I used to love my golf, but my swing has been a little so-so the last few months, so I've tapered off a little bit. I'm very active. I love to keep my mind busy and my body healthy​. I feel good in the car when I feel healthy, fit and strong.

"I'm passionate about being on a snowboard ​i​n deep snow. That feeling is very special. It touches the soul in a way. It's a big part of my life in the winter when I'm not racing.

"Formula One is so high-adrenaline that I think you look for that in other things. Pressure is a part of our sport. It's a part of every high-level sport, but I think it's a privilege to have pressure and be in F1. Tough days are really tough, but good days, and that satisfaction after a good result, a good weekend, it's the best feeling in the world."

Sliders

"The sliders! These actually saved my life in Bahrain that weekend [in 2023], man! I couldn't put my shoes on. I was in a lot of pain. At first, it was just like, 'How am I going to be comfortable walking up and down the paddock?' And then it was like, 'Boom, some big BOSS sliders!' Actually, then I thought it was kind of swaggy, the socks and the sliders. It had a good look to it.

"Recovering from the pre-season cycling accident is one of my biggest life achievements. It was, in my mind, not really a possibility when I was lying on the ground with my broken wrists, hand, toe… I was just kind of thinking, 'This isn't good, this is really not good,' but it was an incredible recovery. I had a great team around me, doctors, physios that helped me get to Bahrain, and to come away in sixth with some points was a great achievement.

"I showed a lot to myself more than anything else. My tolerance for pain got much higher after Bahrain and some of my ideas of what I think is possible have changed. It was incredible adversity and a very challenging moment in my life that I overcame. It was a big life lesson for me.

"Courage is part of what we do. To drive these cars on the limit, to face adversity and go out there and compete every weekend takes a lot of courage and that's one of the reasons why the sport is so appealing."

Paddock pass

"I love Formula One. It's been an incredible journey and it still is an incredible journey. Fernando and I are the guys you see on TV driving the cars and we're in the spotlight, but there are hundreds of people back at the AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone and at the track who contribute to every corner and every lap. It's a huge team effort.

"And then, I'm very lucky that I have my family who come out to support me at a lot of Grands Prix. I've got friends – my trainer, Henry, and my best buddy, Stevie, that come to all the races, Nuno my coach… There are a lot of people who I'm very lucky to have around to help me go out there and kick some butt!"