Unusual reason for Lance Stroll Las Vegas GP grid penalty revealed

Jamie Woodhouse
Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll has been given a five-place Las Vegas grid penalty.

Lance Stroll was too focused on his dashboard and Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari during the final Las Vegas GP practice session, which will cost him dearly for the race.

The stewards determined that Stroll had failed to respect double waved yellows during FP3, by overtaking Sainz in the Ferrari ahead of him.

And it was a transgression which did not go down well with Race Control, with a five-place grid drop issued to Stroll for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with three penalty points also added to his superlicence.

Focused Lance Stroll missed the double yellows

In their verdict, the stewards noted Stroll’s admittance that he had his “head down” and so did not see the double yellows.

They confirmed that the light panels were not showing yellow, though this was not a mitigating factor for failing to respect the physical double yellows.

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“The stewards heard from the driver of Car ​18 (Lance Stroll), team representative and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, telemetry, and in-car video evidence,” the verdict begins.

“Double yellow flags were waved at Marshal Post 12.9 as Car 18 approached that point along the straight. After passing the flags, which were clearly visible on the onboard video from Car 18, Car 18 overtook Car 55.

“The driver of Car 18 stated he had his “head down” looking at his dash and was concentrating on the Ferrari ahead of him and missed the flags. Although there were no yellow light panels displayed, the regulations are clear that the flags and light panels have the same meaning.

“Accordingly the standard penalty guidelines have been applied as to penalty.”

Stroll it seems did not learn his lesson, with the stewards summoning him for a post-qualifying hearing over failing to slow for yellow flags in Q1, though thankfully this time, no further action was taken as he prepares to start from P19.

Sainz ironically is the other driver with a grid penalty in Las Vegas, his a controversial 10-place drop for taking a new battery, despite this being a result of a car rebuild triggered by a faulty water valve cover.

Read next: Clear Mercedes response to speculation they blocked Carlos Sainz penalty reprieve