Lance Stroll reached an unwanted milestone in Formula 1 by being eliminated in Q1 of the Italian GP qualifying. The Canadian became the first driver to record 100 eliminations in this phase since the adoption of the current qualifying format in 2006.
Stroll finished the session in Monza in 22nd and last position, less than a tenth behind Fernando Alonso, who was 19th. The Canadian’s first elimination in Q1 happened precisely in his F1 debut, at the 2017 Australian GP, when he was still driving for Williams.
After qualifying, Stroll did not hide his frustration with Aston Martin’s lack of performance. “It was what we expected with the engine. We are three seconds behind, so we won’t be able to keep up with the pack tomorrow,” he said.
The team has especially struggled on the straights in Monza. Speed data showed a difference of about 20 km/h compared to the Mercedes cars, even after Honda brought an engine update at the previous round, the Dutch GP.
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Alonso also faced problems and managed to complete only one fast lap in Q1. “We are investigating a problem with the car that kept us in the garage at the end of Q1. We lost the chance to use a new set of tires, so our qualifying ended earlier than it should have,” he explained.
The Spaniard added that the limitation on the straights remains one of the main obstacles. “We know we are behind our competitors, especially due to the lack of pace on the straights, and that makes this circuit very difficult.”
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