Lance Stroll was pretty stingy with comments after another tough weekend in his Aston Martin.
The Quebec pilot had to be content with the 14e rank at the finish at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Mexico City, where he was unable to move up the field after starting from last place on the starting grid.
Stroll conceded two laps to the race winner, Dutchman Max Verstappen.
“It’s always difficult to gain positions when you start from so far away,” said the Quebec driver. Especially on a circuit where the possibilities of overtaking opponents are complicated. We did what we could …
“It’s a shame,” he continued, “because the car was performing well despite everything. I wished that pilots would give up in front of me to improve my lot, but that did not happen.
“The only moment of celebration came when I managed to pass George Russell. We hope that in Brazil, we will be able to collect precious points in the championship. “
All in all, Stroll had another rough ride.
Yes, another where, in qualifying, he blundered after being the victim of a track excursion the day before, during the first round (Q1).
The damage was done, even if he knew, before this misfortune, that he had to start at the back of the grid, due to a penalty imposed on him following the numerous changes made to the powertrain of his single-seater.
At the end of this 18e stage of the F1 World Championship, Stroll occupies only the 13e place in the standings after a weak harvest of 26 points. There are only four steps left on the schedule.
Vettel saves the furniture
Ranked seventh in Mexico City, Sebastian Vettel saved the furniture for the Aston Martin team.
“I am satisfied with the behavior of my car, explained the four-time world champion, even if we always want to do better. The important thing is to have amassed important points in the championship … “
The German driver is still the only representative of the team, led by Lawrence Stroll (Lance’s father), to have reached the podium in F1 this year. It happened once, at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last June.
It all happened at the first corner
Like an impassable wall, the two Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton occupied the first row on the starting grid of the Grand Prix of Mexico City. But it was without knowing that Max Verstappen did not intend to stay behind for long. In fact, it all happened in the first lap, or rather in the first corner. When the Dutchman, in search of his first title in Formula 1, rose to the level of the two black single-seaters, he took advantage of an opening to the outside and late braking to take the lead. It was at this precise moment that the race was played.
Change of guard?
With its two drivers on the podium, Verstappen on the first step and the darling of Mexico, Sergio Pérez, on the third, the Red Bull team now concedes only one point in the constructors’ standings behind Mercedes. More than ever, the domination of the German team seems threatened. Is this a change of guard in Formula 1?
The sequel in Brazil
F1 is making a stopover in Brazil this weekend. And it will be an opportunity for the drivers and teams to accumulate additional points in the championship, since the programming foresees a sprint race on Saturday (replacing the usual three rounds of qualifying), at the end of which points will be awarded to the finish line, ie three to the winner, two to the second and one to the third.
– Louis Butcher
