Stroll: 'I'm a completely different driver' compared to Melbourne F1 debut

Lance Stroll feels he is now "a completely different driver" compared to when he made his Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix in March 2017, gaining experience from racing at the highest level in motorsport.

Stroll, 18, made his F1 debut with Williams last March, and enjoyed a mixed rookie season highlighted by a podium finish in Baku and a front-row start at Monza.

The Canadian will head into his second F1 season with Williams stepping up as team leader following Felipe Massa's departure, partnering debutant Sergey Sirotkin, but he feels he has undergone significant changes in the last 12 months.

"I think over the course of the year I've changed dramatically as a driver. I've learned a tremendous amount, I've gained a lot of experience competing at the highest level with the best drivers in the world in F1," Stroll said.

"You experience all kinds of different emotions. You face adversity, and I've experienced standign on a podium and starting on a front row.

"It has taught me so much about being a racing driver, travelling the world and racing all these different kinds of tracks against the best drivers in the world.

"I've really just had to learn and adapt more than ever before, because there's so much to do in F1. There's so much to be on top of as a driver. It really requires perfection just to walk out of a weekend with a decent result.

"I definitely feel like compared to where I was in Melbourne 2017, I'm a completely different driver."