At a time when fans are questioning his abilities as a worthy driver, Lance Stroll put forth a stunning performance to clinch P3. The Canadian out-qualified his seasoned teammate to secure Racing Point’s highest start.
Stroll was ecstatic over the team radio and couldn’t hide his joy, which was apparent.
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With rumors of Sebastian Vettel joining Aston Martin gaining momentum, many fans called out Stroll, asking him to step aside for Vettel.
Stroll, undeniably, earned his way to the RP20’s cockpit. However, his rise, at the expense of his father’s position, hasn’t gone down well with a huge faction of Formula 1 fans.
Lance Stroll: We’ve had the pace, it is just about piecing it together
Fans often lambaste the Canadian for being a ‘pay driver’ in F1. Yes, Lawrence Stroll played a major role in getting Lance to F1, but the billionaire isn’t aiding his son in the driver’s seat.
This was a crucial weekend for both Racing Point drivers, with one of them effectively fighting for his seat.
Despite having a contract until 2022, rumors suggest that Racing Point may trigger an exit clause to release Perez prematurely. As a result, fans are flooding social media to urge the Silverstone-based outfit to retain the Mexican driver.
Instead, an enormous section of fans want Stroll to bow out of the team. But with today’s performance, the Canadian showed true grit and why he deserves a good seat in F1.
In his post-qualifying team radio, Stroll didn’t suppress any emotions.
“The car was on fire today! Yes, Haha!”
“Wooooo!”
“Yes guys, Yes!” shouted an emotional but jubilant Stroll.
A super Saturday at the Hungaroring for @lance_stroll 🙂
He powered his way to P3 on Sunday's grid – the best qualifying result of his F1 career 🚀#HungarianGP 🇭🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/RMT9Vl3jc3
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2020
In the post-qualifying interviews, Stroll admitted that Racing Point took a gamble during Q2. The team opted to stay on the medium compound tires and therefore, they ran the risk of getting both cars knocked out.
Nevertheless, Stroll hailed his RP20, which rightfully deserves a ton of credit.
Speaking to Paul di Resta, Stroll said, “I’m very happy at the moment, the car was really strong all the way through. We’ve had the pace, it is just about piecing it together.
“It was a gamble [in Q2] but that’s going to put us in a good position for tomorrow, so I’m really happy we managed to get through on the mediums.”
Can Racing Point achieve its first podium tomorrow? We certainly hope so!
