Lance Stroll receives second grid penalty ahead of Monaco GP

Lance Stroll Hit with Second Grid Penalty at Monaco Grand Prix

MONACO — Lance Stroll’s Monaco Grand Prix weekend went from bad to worse after he was handed his second grid penalty, this time for impeding Alpine’s Pierre Gasly during the qualifying session on Saturday.

The incident, which occurred as both drivers exited the iconic Monaco tunnel approaching the Nouvelle Chicane, forced Gasly to hit the brakes as Stroll’s slow-moving Aston Martin appeared to veer back toward the racing line. Stroll had initially moved over to allow Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari through but misjudged Gasly’s approach. The close call drew an exasperated response from Gasly over team radio:

"Oh my god, who was that? Shocking from Stroll."

Stroll, who initially qualified 18th, is now due to start 19th on the grid following the penalty. His grid position had already been compromised by a separate three-place penalty received on Friday for a practice session collision with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.

Stewards’ Decision

In a post-qualifying visit to the stewards, Stroll was sanctioned for the second time this weekend, earning another three-place drop for the Gasly incident. The stewards concluded that the Aston Martin driver lacked critical information in the moments leading up to the situation.

The official verdict stated:

"[Stroll] was informed that Car 10 [Gasly] was on a fast lap at Turn 10. From the radio communications it appears that Car 18 was not informed/reminded that Car 44 [Hamilton] (who Car 18 had overtaken earlier in that lap) was also coming and that Car 44 was going to overtake Car 18.

"The driver of Car 18 assumed wrongly that there was only one car to be let by and when Car 44 (which was not on a fast lap) went by him, he moved back to the racing line, thus impeding Car 10 which was on a fast lap."

Stroll also told the stewards that the sunlight transitioning from the tunnel had hampered his vision, as his eyes were still adjusting to the change in lighting. The stewards acknowledged that:

“The position of the sun” may have indeed prevented Stroll from identifying the color of the car that overtook him.

Nevertheless, they deemed the impeding incident punishable with the standard three-place grid drop.

Minimal Impact on Grid Positioning

Though Stroll’s three-place penalty technically moves him down from 18th to 19th on the grid, it has limited impact due to other penalties on the grid. Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who clocked the slowest time in qualifying, carries a 10-place penalty stemming from a rules violation during Friday’s red-flag conditions. Since Bearman will begin his race from 20th regardless, Stroll’s penalty essentially becomes a moot point in terms of overall grid positioning.

Challenges Ahead for Stroll

This marks a challenging weekend for Stroll, whose struggles have been compounded by penalties and on-track incidents. Starting near the back of the grid, the Canadian driver will face a tough task navigating the notoriously narrow and unforgiving streets of Monaco, where overtaking is at a premium.

Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly, who barely avoided contact with the Aston Martin, will likely be hoping for a clean race as he looks to climb up the order.

Monaco Drama Sets the Stage for Race Day

With a dramatic qualifying session in the books and penalties shaking up the back of the grid, the stage is set for what promises to be an action-packed Monaco Grand Prix.

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