Lance Stroll, the Aston Martin driver, will face a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming United States Grand Prix. This decision follows his collision with Esteban Ocon during the sprint race held on Saturday.
Incident Details
The collision occurred at Turn 1 when Stroll attempted to overtake Ocon as the race neared its final stages. This mishap contributed to a chaotic situation, resulting in the race concluding under a safety car. The sprint race was ultimately won by Max Verstappen.
Stewards’ Verdict
Race stewards evaluated the incident and found Stroll to be at fault. Consequently, he has received a five-place penalty based on his qualifying position for the main race, as well as two penalty points. This incident raises his total to seven points within a 12-month period.
Rules and Regulations
Under current regulations, a driver facing 12 penalty points within a year may be subjected to a one-race ban. The stewards’ report confirmed Stroll’s misjudgment during the overtake attempt, stating: “Car 18 attempted an inside overtake on Car 31 into Turn 1 but misjudged the braking point and collided with Car 31.”
Race Context
The collision marked the second safety car deployment of the 100km sprint race. Earlier incidents involved McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris colliding on the opening lap.
Championship Implications
With this outcome, Verstappen gained crucial points in the drivers’ championship standings, with qualifying still on the horizon. Qualifying for the United States Grand Prix is scheduled to commence at 4 p.m. local time, which corresponds to 10 p.m. BST.
