BWT Racing Point Formula One driver Lance Stroll hasn’t had the easiest of races recently. He was unable to drive at the Eifel Grand Prix due to Coronavirus symptoms and has been without a point since his podium at the Tuscan Grand Prix.
Putting all that behind him, Stroll is relishing the challenge of a new circuit at the Turkish Grand Prix this weekend. Although this track used to be in the Formula 1 calendar back in 2011, it’s a track the young Canadian hasn’t driven at.
Stroll said: “I’m feeling good about this weekend. We’ve been quite unlucky recently so it’s a chance to score points and get back into a good rhythm. It’s a close fight in the midfield, but I think we’ve got a car that’s going to be competitive at all of the remaining races.
“It’s a new challenge and it looks like an impressive lap. I’ve been watching some videos of the old races there and it seems to be a circuit that’s always produced exciting racing. Everybody speaks about Turn 8 and I think that’s going to be the highlight. It should feel pretty special in these modern F1 cars.”
Sergio Pérez is one of four drivers on the current grid that race at Intercity Istanbul Park back in 2011. It wasn’t a successful race for the Mexican driver but despite that he is still looking forward to making a return to the circuit.
Pérez past couple of races have gone strongly for him. He should have stood on the podium last time out at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix but a late safety car pit stop ruined his chances.
“I’ve only raced there once, but It’s a very nice track. It’s very fast and it famously has the long Turn 8 corner. It’s a circuit that’s very physical and we’ll definitely feel it in the neck at the end of the weekend! I’m really looking forward to racing there again,” said Pérez.
“It’s definitely a nice challenge. It’s easy to get into a routine by going to the same circuits every year, so when you get the challenge of learning a new circuit or re-learning an older one, it’s an exciting prospect. You can outperform drivers by how quickly you learn the track, so that’s an interesting dynamic too.”
Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer has enjoyed the battle for third place that Racing Point have found themselves in the middle of. With Scuderia Ferrari having an unfortunate season, the ‘best of the rest’ title has been left wide open with one point separating his team, the Renault DP World F1 Team and the McLaren F1 Team ahead of the final four races of the season.
Szafnauer said: “I think the battle for P3 has been one of the highlights of the season. Having said that, it’s actually been a close fight throughout the midfield this year.
“We’ve been very closely matched with McLaren and Renault – as the standings show – but some of the other teams have been right in the mix too at certain circuits, which is great for the sport and has certainly made for some unpredictable and exciting races.“
