Lance Stroll was the first casualty of a hectic Brazilian GP, spinning out in the formation lap – before getting stuck in the gravel as he attempted to re-join. According to the Canadian, a brake issue was responsible for his unusual blunder.
Stroll reacts to “really strange” spin
Aston Martin’s decline is one of the many stories that has been lost in the aftermath of the Brazilian GP. They are the only team, along with Sauber, who failed to score points in F1’s latest triple-header.
Even Fernando Alonso, who dragged the AMR24 into points at Singapore and Baku, has failed to clinch a top-10 finish in recent events.
On the opposite side of the garage, points have been even further out of reach for Lance Stroll.
As Aston Martin continue to struggle for performance, Stroll’s campaign is suffering in equal measure. Alpine and VCARB’s significant points hauls Brazil have pushed the Canadian further down the standings.
To make matters worse, the 26-year-old crashed in qualifying at Interlagos. After spending hours on repairs, his mechanics were rewarded with an AMR24 stuck in the gravel on the formation lap.
After spinning out in turn 4, Stroll ended up beaching himself in the gravel as he attempted to get back on track.
Speaking post-race, Stroll assessed the incident:
“It was a really strange one. It felt like a brake failure,” he explained.
“Because as soon as I touched the brakes it locked the rear axle, and I was a passenger.
“I was stuck in the gravel and my race was done. It is such a shame, because in a wet race like today anything can be possible.
“But we were not able to take those opportunities.”
Even with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly securing a double-podium for Alpine, it is unlikely that Aston Martin will lose 5th place in the standings.
The Silverstone-based team still have a significant cushion over their midfield rivals.
With that said, the team standings do not reflect the AMR24’s current speed. Haas, VCARB and Alpine have all out-developed Aston Martin this season.
Sauber are the only team definitely slower than Aston Martin at this stage of the season.
After twelve months of virtually non-existent development, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso can expect a disappointing end to their 2024 campaigns.
