Williams Martini Racing driver Lance Stroll will finally get to race at a circuit he knows well, as the F1 calendar takes us to Austria this weekend.
The 18-year-old rookie has so far had to spend time getting used to the track at every round this year, but the Red Bull Ring is a venue he has raced at before in the junior formulas and enjoyed success, picking up two victories and a second place there during the European F3 Championship in 2016.
That familiarity, along with his maiden podium last time out in Baku, gives Stroll a confidence he has not yet experienced going into a race weekend, and the Canadian cannot wait to get the action underway.
“Austria will be a completely new experience for me, as this is the first track of the year where I have already raced.
“I just love that track. It is so cool and a place I have enjoyed racing. There are not that many corners but it has a great flow and it is easy to get a good rhythm.”
“It is always great going back to a track where you have been successful, and that is definitely the case here as last year in Formula 3 I had two wins and a second!”
The scenic location will also be a home away from home for Stroll, who says Spielberg very much reminds him of being in Canada.
“The area is very beautiful and it reminds me of back home in Canada – one of those northern tracks with pine trees.”
The 18-year-old followed up a points finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, with a podium in Azerbaijan, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep that momentum going with a strong performance on Sunday, now that he has experience of the circuit to call upon.