For a second consecutive Grand Prix, the Quebecer Lance Stroll did not manage to reach the last qualifying phase, Saturday in Monaco. He will be 14th on the grid on Sunday.
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However, the day had started well for the Aston Martin driver. He took third place in the final free practice in the morning, but the tide turned in the afternoon.
His time of 1:12.722 s. only allowed him to get ahead of Valtteri Bottas among the 15 athletes participating in Q2.
“It was a frustrating qualifying session, launched the main interested party, according to the Aston Martin website. I thought I had a chance, though: I finished fifth in Q1 and I felt good in the car.
“Things started to go less well in Q2. I did not prepare my tires well, I got caught at the weighbridge, there was traffic and I lost a few tenths of a second at the 18th corner, he summarized. When the standings are so tight, these elements have a significant impact.
Sporting director Mike Krack agreed: his colt was at a disadvantage on Saturday.
“Lance had the speed to get into Q3. But a combination of factors prevented him from excelling in Q2,” he summed up.
At the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month, Stroll stopped in Q3 and finished the race in 12th place.
Alonso warms up Verstappen
Saturday’s results make the Montrealer look particularly bad, as his teammate Fernando Alonso once again showed the great potential of the AMR23 car.
The veteran Spaniard warmed up the behind of pole-sitter Max Verstappen by posting a time of 1:11.449s. in Q3.
Since the start of the season, Alonso has only been left off the podium once, taking fourth place in Baku.
For his part, Stroll has not yet determined his strategy for the day on Sunday, but he believes that anything can happen.
“Tomorrow [samedi] is another day. We are going to roll the dice to choose our strategy: either we are going to visit the pits at the start of the race to overtake, or we are going to be patient. Hoping that the rain mixes with the game.