Lance Stroll “doesn’t understand” being penalised for hitting Daniel Ricciardo in Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix, believing he was a victim of the pack bunching together.
Stroll struck Ricciardo’s RB approaching the hairpin while the field was preparing for the restart in the wake of a Safety Car period caused by Valtteri Bottas’ stricken Sauber.
The impact lifted Ricciardo’s RB off the ground, and into the rear of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, with both cars sustaining substantial diffuser damage.
Ricciardo continued in the race, but swiftly retired due to the extent of the damage and consequent time loss, with Stroll issued a 10-second time penalty for his actions.
“I don’t understand it,” said Stroll on the penalty.
“It was really just one of those concertina effect racing incidents, which I guess because I was the one that hit the guy in front of me that I got the penalty.
“Someone brakes in front and I think it was like everyone kind of braked and the car in front of me just stopped in front of me, I had nowhere to go.
“And then, yeah, it was just one of those really weird racing incidents.”
Stroll was in the lower reaches of the top 10 and reckons the contact was “a shame, because we were on for eighth or ninth, so a couple of points missed out today.”
Stroll was also issued two penalty points for the incident, bringing his rolling 12-month total up to seven.
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