Lance Stroll will serve a grid drop at Formula 1‘s United States Grand Prix after being deemed responsible for a collision with Esteban Ocon in the Sprint Race.
The Aston Martin driver tangled with Ocon’s Haas while attempting an overtake into Turn 1 in the closing stages of the 19-lap clash in Austin.
Stroll locked his brakes on entry, made contact with Ocon, and ended the Frenchman’s race on the spot.
Although Stroll initially continued, he soon retired with front-end damage, pulling off the circuit a few corners later.
The stewards reviewed video evidence and heard from both drivers and their teams before ruling Stroll “wholly at fault” for the incident.
In their verdict, the stewards stated that “Car 18 attempted an inside overtake on Car 31 into Turn 1 but misjudged the braking point and collided with Car 31.”
Because Stroll failed to finish the Sprint, the penalty converts to a five-place grid drop for the Grand Prix, equivalent to a 10-second time penalty.
The Canadian was also handed two penalty points on his Super License, bringing his total to seven over the past twelve months.
The clash was part of an action-filled Sprint that saw five drivers retire.
Alongside Stroll and Ocon, the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Stroll’s team-mate Fernando Alonso, were also eliminated after first-lap contact.
Ocon, who had been running well inside the top 10, was forced out immediately, while Aston Martin confirmed Stroll’s AMR25 had sustained heavy damage in the collision.
The setback adds to a difficult weekend for Aston Martin, which endured a double DNF in the Sprint and struggled for pace in qualifying.
Unless the team chooses to appeal, Stroll will start five positions lower on the grid for Sunday’s race, compounding a challenging season marked by inconsistency and costly mistakes.
READ MORE – McLaren blasts ‘amateur hour driving’ that eliminated both drivers from F1 US GP Sprint
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