Lance Stroll made history on Saturday in Monza. The Canadian became the first driver to be eliminated in Q1 one hundred times. The Aston Martin driver qualified last in Monza, although due to grid penalties for Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson among others, he does not have to start completely at the back of the field.
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The current qualifying format – with Q1, Q2, and Q3 – was introduced in 2006. Since then, no driver had managed to be eliminated in Q1 one hundred times. Until Lance Stroll on Saturday in Monza. It is just the next disappointment for the Canadian, who has been struggling all year in the Aston Martin. A thirteenth place during the Hungarian GP was the only highlight so far.
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Three-second deficit
Also in Monza, things went wrong for Aston Martin: the AMR26 was consistently twenty kilometers per hour slower than the Mercedes cars throughout the race weekend so far. “That was what we expected from the engine,” he told the media in Monza about the disappointing pace. “We are three seconds behind, so we won’t be able to keep up with the pack tomorrow.” His teammate Fernando Alonso did not do much better with a 21st qualifying position.
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