Front wing damage behind Stroll’s drop in pace at Turkish GP

Racing Point has revealed that Lance Stroll was carrying front wing damage throughout the Turkish Grand Prix which significantly impacted his tyre graining issues.

Stroll led away from his maiden pole position and preserved the lead after taking on Intermediate tyres, but gradually struggled through the second stint, and tumbled down the order after making a second pit stop.

The Canadian expressed confusion after the race, as he was unaware why his tyre graining appeared to be worse than that of his rivals and team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished the grand prix in second place.

However, in a statement released on Monday, Racing Point explained that it discovered damage to the underside of the front wing after the race, which it claims was a major factor in Stroll’s notable drop in pace.

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“During the team’s routine post-race car set down, we discovered damage to the underside of Stroll’s front wing that was a significant contributor to the graining issues he experienced during his 2nd and 3rd stints on the intermediate tyres at the Turkish Grand Prix,” read a team statement.

“Lance reported poor tyre performance, significant understeer and graining from lap 17 onwards in the race.

“Pitting for a fresh set of intermediates on lap 36 failed to resolve the problem, with the graining becoming even more severe.

“One of the strakes on the underside of the front wing had come loose and lodged itself in such a way that the blockage caused a significant loss of front downforce.

“The resultant loss of front downforce contributed to increased levels of graining.

“Data during the race confirmed there was a significant loss of front downforce – but with no visible damage to the top side of the front wing, combined with the low-grip conditions, it was difficult to confirm whether the data was correct.

“It was only after the race, when the car returned to the garage, that the damage and blockage to the underside of the front wing was discovered.”

Racing Point currently sits third in the Constructors’ Championship, five points in front of McLaren.