Lance Stroll could be in hot water with the FIA after pushing his performance following another Q1 elimination at the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday evening.
The Canadian could only manage P17 in the heat at the Lusail International Circuit. He was a whopping 1.1s slower than teammate Fernando Alonso. The two-time World Champion would ultimately qualify a strong P4.
Stroll got out of the car in his garage and tried to head out the back of it. However, as Henry Howe was trying to point him in the direction to get weighed, the Canadian shrugged him off. When Howe tried again to get him to do what is mandatory after your qualifying ends, the 24-year-old clearly pushed him.
It’s a fourth consecutive Q1 exit for Stroll and his fifth overall in 2023. He’s also failed to make a standard Q3 session ten times. Stablemate Fernando Alonso has got himself into Q3 at every single race this year to date.
In the Drivers’ Championship, Stroll is 127 points and six places behind the Spaniard. His lack of pace against an elite driver in the same car has been brutally exposed this year.
Speaking post-qualifying, Stroll only gave seven words to the interviewer as the frustration and emotion was still clearly very high.
Reporter: “Lance, we saw frustration from you on the TV screens. Obviously this means so much to you. What are your emotions right now?”
Stroll: “Yeah, s***.”
Reporter: “What is not clicking for you behind the wheel at the moment?”
Stroll: “I don’t know.”
Reporter: “And how does this change your mindset for the weekend? Is it now a test session? Are you going to go for it in the sprint?”
Stroll: “Keep driving.”
It remains to be seen if Stroll is handed some form of punishment. Max Verstappen was ordered to do some public service after pushing Esteban Ocon in the weighing area following contact between the pair on track during the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Aramaco Cognizant F1 Team
