Stroll logs first F1 finish in Russia after first-lap mishap
After three frustrating retirements, Williams rookie Lance Stroll logged his first finish of the season in Russia, having survived an incident on the first lap.
The Canadian spun when he struck a curb while battling with Nico Hulkenberg. The FIA investigated the incident, but the German was exonerated as it was clear that no contact was made.
A safety car for the Palmer/Grosjean incident ensured that Stroll didn’t lose too much time, but his tires were damaged. He eventually finished 11th, five seconds behind final Carlos Sainz.
“I knew I didn’t have any damage, but it was just so unfortunate,” said Stroll. “I had a really good start, and I think I was around P8 at one point or something. And then I got squeezed on the curb, and there wasn’t much grip. I don’t know, the car just got away from me, and I fell to the back again. It was just one of those things that happens, you know.”
He was also compromised by damage to his tires: “It was a difficult first stint, because I had to spin the car back around to keep going, and I overheated the rears quite a bit. So I had poor grip that whole stint.
“I recovered a bit on the second stint. I saw the checkered flag for the first time, which was nice, but disappointing with the spin. It could have been better. It’s tough to overtake here, and we were managing issues throughout the race, we weren’t able to run at our maximum level.”
