Lance Stroll has described the Red Bull Ring as “good fun” ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.
The Racing Point F1 Team driver heads into the weekend still waiting to get out of the first part of qualifying this season.
The Canadian has not featured in the second part of qualifying since last year’s Japanese Grand Prix but has plenty of experience of the Red Bull Ring thanks to two previous visits in Formula 1 along with races in the Formula 3 Championship in 2015 and 2016.
“Racing in Austria is good fun.
“The lap is fast and compact, and it’s very enjoyable to drive.
“It’s a track where I raced a lot during the junior categories and it’s always feels very familiar to me when we go back there.”
Austria may have
the shortest lap time on the calendar but Stroll admits it is not as easy as it
looks to get that perfect lap in.
“When you look at a circuit map, it appears to be a short and
simple lap, but the reality is quite different.
“All of the corners are a challenge and there are some big stops where you have to be really precise and confident on the brakes.
“If you go in a bit deep and miss the apex, it will really hurt your lap time.
“So the biggest challenge is getting together the perfect lap, even though there are only ten corners.”
Stroll praises
the setting of the circuit and believes it is “one of the most beautiful places” that the sport visits during the
season.
“As a venue it’s got to be one of the most beautiful places
we visit.
“It’s really in the middle of the countryside and quite isolated.
“The track follows the flow of the hills and there’s some nice elevation changes – such as the approaches to turns one and two.”