The Aston Martin team received an official reprimand from Formula 1 stewards after driver Lance Stroll failed to show up for a fan event planned for the Spanish Grand Prix.
This is an unusual offense to say the least, but the Quebecer defended himself by indicating that he had to visit the doctor. According to the report, he had a medical emergency in the morning which was confirmed by his team.
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However, the stewards judged that the team had not informed the media representative of this absence quickly enough. She should also have obtained a medical exemption from the chief doctor or medical delegate.
Aston Martin may appeal this decision. According to FIA regulations, a driver receiving five reprimands during the same season will receive a penalty of 10 places on the starting grid.
Stroll’s already difficult day didn’t end there as the 25-year-old underperformed during Friday’s free practice.
He had to settle for 14th place in the first session (1 min 15.512 s) before improving his best time while falling to 18th place in the second training session (1:14.402).
“It was a tough day on the track for us. We don’t have the desired pace, so there is a lot of work to do between now and tomorrow,” he said, according to his team’s website.
Qualifying will follow on Saturday, before Sunday’s race.
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