MIAMI, Fla. – Lance Stroll’s attempt to qualify for the Formula 1 sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix faced a setback, leaving Aston Martin drivers questioning the situation.
Your main rival? Max Verstappen, the reigning champion.
As Stroll approached the end of the first quarter, he crossed paths with Verstappen near Turn 17, who was also on a flying lap but had to slow down and brake, blocking Stroll’s progress.
“On one of my laps, I told my team,” Stroll remarked. “Verstappen at the final corner was quite hazardous. He was just in the middle of the racing line.”
Stroll missed advancing to the second quarter by a mere 0.114 seconds but suggested it wasn’t solely Verstappen’s fault.
“We were navigating through traffic,” he explained after the session on the official F1 channel. “Verstappen was completely in the way during the last corner.”
“We had to brake within the track, and we lost a couple of tenths there.”
Stroll indicated he would like officials to address the situation.
“It just eats into your lap time,” he added. “That one-tenth can vanish quickly.”
“If all drivers just occupy the racing line, it’s not fair for those attempting a quick lap, so I hope they look into it. But we’ll see how it unfolds.”
Stroll’s wish might be granted; Verstappen has been called to meet with officials for potentially not adhering to race director notes.
This post will be updated
