Lance Stroll has expressed doubts about the performance level of his FW41 after a very disappointing first race for the Grove team in Melbourne, Australia.
From the start of the race on Sunday, the Canadian was on the defensive at the wheel of his Williams car, losing a position before the first corner before finding himself in trouble all afternoon.
The Williams driver had to think he should fight for the 13th position in F1 Australia Grand Prix, but even that fight was lost against Sauber driver Charles Leclerc.
This poor result in the race annoys the young Canadian driver, especially as the team knows exactly where the problem on the car comes from.
“We cannot perform with this car, it’s as simple as that. The team made a mistake during free practice on Friday, I had to stop my car at the edge of the track, which wasted precious time, and on Sunday nothing was settled, quite the contrary.” Stroll said.
“We were in the wrong mode [engine] in the first round and that’s why I was overtaken [Esteban] Ocon. We didn’t have the extra power we needed for the restart behind the safety car and that’s where I lost my place against Leclerc.
“Basically, we try to get the car across the finish line instead of running, but there are a lot of problems today that have cost us a lot of time.” Stroll added.
Lance Stroll walks alongside and his new team-mate Sergey Sirotkin. (Source:www.pit.com)
When asked about “halo” system in this season, the 19-year-old driver said it will change nothing but he has no problem at all.
The “halo” cockpit head protection system protects drivers from the potentially fatal impact of objects like a loose wheel traveling at up to 140mph.
“For me, it does not change much. In time, it will become a habit. We have a little forgotten sensation before, but for me it’s okay,” Stroll said.
“It’s still a little early to say if the car is good or not so good. We had a good morning and now we have to do more tricks.” Stroll added.
Stroll has returned to the track on Wednesday only as he shares his wheel with two newcomers to Williams, his new team-mate Sergey Sitotkin, as well as new test driver, Robert Kubica.
