Otmar Szafnauer admitted luck was not on the side of the Racing Point F1 Team during Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix as neither Sergio Pérez nor Lance Stroll were able to put themselves in a position to fight for points.
Pérez finished on the road at the Circuit de Monaco in thirteenth but was promoted one place to twelfth thanks to a penalty for Kevin Magnussen, while Stroll languished down in sixteenth.
Qualifying on Saturday left the team with a lot of work to do as both Pérez and Stroll found themselves eliminated at the first hurdle, with Szafnauer feeling the uphill task to get inside the top ten was just too much for both drivers.
“We raced well today considering our grid positions and got both cars home safely, but points were out of reach,” said Szafnauer. “We knew we faced an uphill task after yesterday’s qualifying session, but hoped we could make the most of the unpredictability of Monaco.
“The early safety car allowed us to roll the dice by splitting the strategies – pitting Sergio and leaving Lance out – but as the race unfolded there were few opportunities to jump up the field or use the strategy to our advantage.
“We couldn’t get track position and were caught up in the midfield train at various moments throughout the afternoon.”
Szafnauer says the team will look to rebound strongly next time out at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the Canadian Grand Prix, the home race for both driver Lance and team owner Lawrence Stroll.
“It’s not been an easy weekend, but we will take this one on the chin and learn what we can in order to come back stronger in Montreal,” said Szafnauer.
