F1 Announces Punishment for Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll

Highlights:

• Lance Stroll receives five-place grid penalty after causing collision with Esteban Ocon in Sprint.
• FIA stewards found Stroll "wholly at fault" for misjudging an overtaking move into Turn 1.
• Aston Martin face setbacks as both drivers retired, impacting their Constructors’ Championship hopes.

Lance Stroll’s challenging F1 weekend in Austin has take another hit, with the Aston Martin driver handed a five-place grid penalty for the United States Grid Prix. The penalty comes after his collision with Haas driver Esteban Ocon during Saturday’s Sprint race and incident that took both cars out of contention. 

The clash occurred in the closing stages of the 19-lap Sprint, as Stroll attempted an aggressive move into Turn 1. The Canadian locked up under braking, making contact with Ocon’s Haas and ending the Frenchman’s race on the spot. Stroll initially continued, but damage to his AMR25 soon forced him to retire as well. 

After reviewing footage and hearing from both drivers and their teams, the FIA stewards concluded that Stroll was “wholly at fault” for the collision.

Stewards’ Verdict: Stroll ‘Misjudged’ the Move

In their official report, the stewards detailed the reasoning behind the decision:

“Car 18 attempted an inside overtake on Car 31 into Turn 1 but misjudged the braking point and collided with Car 31. The stewards determine that the driver of Car 18 is wholly at fault and apply a penalty accordingly.”

Because Stroll did not finish the Sprint, the stewards opted for a five-place grid drop, the equivalent of a 10-second time penalty, for Sunday’s Grand Prix. 

In addition, Stroll received two penalty points on his FIA Super Licence, bringing his 12-month total to seven points.