Lance Stroll's GT3 Debut Marred by Penalties as Aston Martin Triumphs at Paul Ricard
Lance Stroll's first foray into GT3 racing at Paul Ricard didn't go as planned, with his team incurring significant penalties. Meanwhile, Aston Martin clinched a late victory thanks to a strategic push by their other entry.
Aston Martin's GT World Challenge opener at Paul Ricard had all the makings of a dramatic finish, with the #7 car seizing victory in the final minutes. While this was a cause for celebration within the team, Lance Stroll's debut in GT3 racing was less than stellar. Stroll, sharing the #18 car with Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya, found himself burdened by over eight minutes of penalties, relegating them to a P15 finish.
The race itself was a six-hour marathon, dominated early on by the #48 Mercedes-AMG. However, a late Safety Car brought the #7 Aston Martin, driven by Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen, and Mattia Drudi, back into contention. Thiim capitalized on a mistake by Lucas Auer, taking the lead and securing a win for Comtoyou Racing with just nine minutes left on the clock.
Stroll, on the other hand, faced a challenging debut. His car accumulated penalties for a collision caused by Boya, ignoring blue flags, and exceeding track limits. These infractions added up to a hefty eight minutes and 25 seconds of penalties. Despite this setback, Stroll managed a respectable qualifying performance, with his fastest lap just a hair slower than his teammate Merhi.
In a pre-race discussion, Stroll mentioned conversations with Max Verstappen, who is also dipping his toes into GT racing. "We talked about whom to contact, and since he’s already involved in GT racing, we discussed it a bit," said Stroll, highlighting the appeal of the GT3 cars.
While the race outcome wasn’t what Stroll had hoped for, it was a valuable learning experience in the world of GT3. As for Aston Martin, their victory with the #7 car was a testament to strategic racing and seizing opportunities when they arise.