Lance Stroll, Williams, Hungaroring, 2018

Stroll starts from pitlane as crash leads to front wing change

2018 Hungarian Grand Prix

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Lance Stroll will start the Hungarian Grand Prix from the pitlane after Williams were forced to change his front wing under parc ferme.

Stroll damaged his latest specification wing in qualifying after losing grip in the wet conditions and hitting the barrier exiting turn nine during the second stage of qualifying.

With no spare latest specification front wing available to replace it, Williams have had to revert to an older specification wing, meaning Stroll is forced to start the race from the pitlane.

Lance Stroll had been due to start in 15th having advanced to Q2 ahead of team mate Sergey Sirotkin. Speaking after qualifying, Stroll explained how an aggressive approach had helped him to make it into the second session before the incident.

“I think someone was going to get caught out. It can happen,” said Stroll.

“In Q1 it was raining a little bit and I saw some spots of rain on my visor and I didn’t really back off too much and that’s kind of what got me into Q2. It goes both ways. A little bit too much on the kerb and it can happen.”

Asked whether Williams would consider replacing Stroll’s wing with Sirotkin’s new specification wing, Williams’s chief technical officer Paddy Lowe ruled out potential swap.

“No, we’re not going to do that,” said Lowe.

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7 comments on “Stroll starts from pitlane as crash leads to front wing change”

  1. So, a pity for Stroll, but, if he isn’t to turn into a Maldonado, he needs to be aware of the cost of his small error; Let’s hope this will be the day Sirotkin gets away from his pointless F1 start with that new spec. front wing :)

  2. Surprising.

  3. Really? They had to change the front wing? I’m shocked.

  4. Jonathan Parkin
    29th July 2018, 13:06

    It’s situations like this though that make me wish they had left qualifying like it was in 2002. Not only was it easier to understand but if a driver transgressed in some fashion the stewards could delete his fastest time during the session for instance. The point was at the end of the one hour you knew what the grid was, it didn’t descend into a Mongolian Cluster Fudge of penalties like we had in Monza last year when only the polesitter started in the place he qualified

    1. It would also require the stewards to work at a speed they have proven many times they cant.

  5. Still not be right for him , note ever is.

    1. He should be happy without daddies bank roll he would never have a F1 car to drive. Instead he just mowns note Is right. Most kids would love to be in the same place.

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