12/05/2019
NEWS STORY
Though the stewards opted not to impose any penalties for the Turn 2 clash which saw Lance Stroll and Lando Norris eliminated on the spot and caused the deployment of a Safety Car which could have altered the outcome of the race, the Briton is in no doubt as to who was to blame.
"It was pretty simple to be honest," said the McLaren driver, who had been battling for 14th. "I was on the outside into Turn 1, he knew I was there, he defended into Turn 1. After that, I don't know if he saw me going into Turn 2 but I was still on the inside and he just turned in and didn't leave me enough space.
"He cut across the front of my car and put himself out of the race and me out of the race.
"So I'm a bit annoyed," he admitted, "I didn't get to finish my fifth grand prix. However, at the end of the day we weren't in the points so it didn't cost us as much as it could have done in another race or anything."
In the eyes of the stewards, Norris attempted to pass Stroll on the outside, in Turn 1, but did not in their view complete the overtake because Norris was not completely alongside the Racing Point.
Norris believed that he had the right to be allowed "racing room" into Turn 2 whereas Stroll stated that he was on the racing line in Turn 1 and had to take Turn 2 by remaining on the racing line. Stroll stated he was not aware at that point, of the location of Norris.
The stewards felt that Norris could have backed out of the attempted overtake into Turn 2 and also that Stroll might have been more aware of the possibility that Norris could be on his inside.
Accordingly, they deemed that neither driver was "wholly or predominantly to blame" and therefore in accordance with Article 38.2 a) of the Sporting Regulations,
agreed that "no penalty will be imposed".
"I braked on the inside while he was on the outside and then I had to turn in to make the left hand corner," said Stroll. "Unfortunately there is not enough space for two cars and there was not much I could do. I felt contact on my rear and I was sent into the gravel."