A frustrated Lance Stroll says he and his Racing Point F1 Team will use the imminent summer break to “regroup” after spending the entire 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix stuck behind the Williams Racing car of George Russell.
Stroll headed to the Hungaroring on a high following a remarkable fourth place finish the previous weekend in Germany. But the Canadian was left frustrated in Hungary following yet another Q1 exit in qualifying, his eleventh of the season.
Stroll qualified nineteenth, ahead only of the Williams of Robert Kubica, but gained one position when Daniel Ricciardo was handed a grid penalty. The Australian made swift work of passing Stroll in the race who in turn could only get the better of Antonio Giovinazzi throughout the race’s seventy laps.
He eventually finished seventeenth having spent the entire race tucked under the rear wing of Russell, leaving the Canadian deeply disappointed.
“There’s not much to say about this weekend, which is a shame,” said Stroll after the race. “I had a bad start and didn’t make up any ground on the first lap, which is so important here at the Hungaroring.
“I was stuck behind the Williams of Russell for the whole race so that pretty much sums up my afternoon.
“We knew this track was going to be difficult for us – because of our car characteristics – plus it’s not easy to overtake here. That’s why it was a frustrating race.
“We will use the break to regroup and come back fighting in Belgium: a track that should be much more suited to our car.”
Stroll heads into the second half of the season twelfth in the drivers’ standings on eighteen points, twelve of which were gained in Germany; he remains four places and five points ahead of his team-mate Sergio Pérez.
Racing Point meanwhile drop the eighth in the constructors’ standings leaving Hungary, a single point behind Alfa Romeo Racing.
