Lance Stroll handed double warning for driving too slowly in Bahrain GP qualifying

Lance Stroll was handed two warnings by the FIA stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly on two separate occasions during Formula 1 qualifying at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. 

The Aston Martin driver faced a double stewards’ investigation relating to two counts of the same offence in Q1 and Q2 in qualifying at the Sepang International Circuit on Saturday. 

Stroll, who qualified a season’s best 14th on the grid, was summoned to the stewards’ office in Malaysia for failing to follow the FIA race director’s instructions. 

Having examined both instances, Stroll received two separate warnings. 

“The driver and team explained that the configuration of the Power Unit requires a specific driving procedure during the out-laps. At this circuit, this made it particularly demanding for the Driver to manage his out-lap while at the same time meeting the prescribed SC2–SC1 time as accurately as possible,” the stewards’ verdict read. 

"However, it does not relieve either the Driver or the Competitor of the obligation to comply with the prescribed maximum time. The Driver and Competitor remain responsible for operating the car, including its technical configuration, in a manner which enables compliance with the applicable regulations and the Race Director’s instructions.

“The Stewards also note that STR was able to comply with the prescribed SC2–SC1 time on at least one other out-lap during the same Qualifying session while operating under the same general operational requirements. The Stewards therefore did not consider that the Power Unit configuration made compliance impossible.

“Having considered the circumstances of the incident, the Stewards determine that the exceedance constitutes an infringement.

“Taking into account all of the above, and in particular that compliance with the prescribed time remained possible, the Stewards determine that the standard sanction of a Warning is appropriate.”

It marked the first time this season that Aston Martin has reached the second part of qualifying with both its cars. 

Stroll’s team-mate Fernando Alonso qualified 12th for his highest starting position of the campaign so far. 

“It’s our most competitive event of the season so far,” Stroll said after qualifying. “Less straights, more corners, so it suits us. 

“I couldn’t really push much. The conditions were really tricky, it felt difficult. I didn’t love my lap in Q2. We’re missing more than a second on the straights. 

"We know we have these two events, Malaysia and Singapore where maybe we can get the car out of Q1 and maybe something happens and there’s a bit of an opportunity. But as soon as we go back to the long straights we’re going to struggle again. This track suits us.”