The Canadian Formula 1 Grands Prix follow one another and look alike for Lance Stroll.
The Quebec driver from the Aston Martin team managed to move up the peloton and finish in ninth position on Sunday on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit.
A penalty had relegated Stroll to 16e rank on the starting grid. He always left in 16e or 17e position at the Canadian GP, but has now finished ninth three times (2017, 2019 and 2023) and once in 10e square (2022). He was forced to retire in 2018.
Stroll received two points for his efforts on Sunday. He still sits eighth in the drivers’ standings, with 37 points.
“At the end of the season, when you look at the Constructors’ Championship standings, it’s often one or two points that make the difference. So it’s better than nothing,” Stroll said, looking to see the glass half full.
His Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso had a better day, climbing to the second step of the podium. The Spanish driver has six podiums to his name in eight races this season. Stroll’s best result is a fourth place finish, achieved at the Australian Grand Prix.
“I want to be on the podium too,” Stroll said. But he [Alonso] is fast. He is confident in the car. He does a great job. I’m happy for the team and him. He deserves this podium. »
Stroll and the F1 circus will now travel to Austria, where the next race will be staged on July 2.
A spectacular final
Stroll gained two positions on the first lap, but he regained 16e rank when he was unlucky going into the pits just before the exit of the safety car at 11e round.
Aston Martin strategists struck a blow a little later. Stroll was still stuck in 16e position in a long train going from the 10e up to 19e. By returning to the pits earlier than his rivals, he was able to exploit his car’s performance on new rubber with no traffic in front of him.
This allowed him to gain four positions without having to overtake on the track.
“I felt good in the car and the speed was good when I had some open air ahead of me,” Stroll noted, as Aston Martin made several upgrades to their cars for the weekend. Unfortunately, I often found myself in traffic, in a long train, and it was difficult to overtake. »
Mercedes’ George Russell retirement after 55 laps put Stroll in 11e position.
A five-way battle came alive in the closing laps.
Williams’ Alex Albon spoiled the party by protecting his seventh place ahead of Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris, Valtteri Bottas and Stroll. Albon was the only driver in the middle of the field to make a single pit stop.
Stroll just managed to pass Bottas at the finish line, beating him by three hundredths of a second, less than half a car length.
“My tires were finished, but I put a bit of pressure. He [Bottas] made a mistake in the last chicane. He blocked me a bit and I had a better corner exit than him. I double-crossed it at the end,” Stroll recounted.
Stroll therefore crossed the finish line in 10e place. He earned another position due to a five-second penalty against McLaren’s Norris for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Norris was punished for slowing too much in the pits and blocking other drivers during his pass while the safety car was on track.
“If I’m punished for this, I should have been punished many times over the last three years, like all the other drivers, said Norris, visibly stunned by the decision of the marshals. I did not do anything wrong. »
Norris eventually placed 13eeven though he crossed the finish line in ninth position.
After being punished in qualifying, Stroll took advantage of a rival’s punishment to get one more point in the standings.
“Under the circumstances, it’s better than nothing to get some points,” he said. It was still a difficult weekend, with a bit of bad luck yesterday [samedi] and today. »
“It’s a weekend like that. There are still 14 races left until the end of the season. We will tackle them one at a time,” he concluded.