Aston Martin’s team principal, Mike Krack, has come to the defence of Lance Stroll following the Canadian racer’s explosive outburst during the qualifying session at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Krack drew a parallel between Stroll’s reaction and the emotional responses of footballers when substituted, emphasising the need for more respect from Formula 1 media towards drivers’ on-the-spot emotions.
Lance Stroll made headlines in the lead-up to the race due to his furious response after being eliminated in Q1.
He exited his car and defied trainer Henry Howe’s attempts to guide him to the weighing station, as per FIA protocol.
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Stroll, not in the best frame of mind at the time, even physically pushed Howe aside when he tried to redirect the driver.
The incident raised eyebrows, though both Stroll and the Aston Martin team downplayed it.
Stroll, reflecting on the episode later, expressed his feelings: “We’re good. He’s a bro.
“We go through the frustrations together, and we ride together, so we’re cool.
“I’m not looking at social media. I’m in the car driving this weekend.”
Despite the reconciliation within the team, Stroll faced a barrage of criticism from journalists, pundits, and fans for his actions.
However, Mike Krack contended that there was an overreaction to the incident and advocated leniency for drivers in the heat of the moment.
Krack drew an analogy between the situation and a football player’s reaction when being substituted from the field.
He explained that drivers are pumped with adrenaline during races, and it’s crucial to allow them time to calm down before facing the media.
Krack elaborated, saying, “I’m sure we run 10-20 times less adrenaline on the pit wall than the drivers do, but you put the microphone straight away in front of them, or you gauge every reaction that they do.
“Emotions are what we want from sportsmen, and then if they react, we judge them quickly, ‘Is this right, is this wrong?’
“We need to be careful with that.
“We want to see it because then we have something to talk about, but I think it goes one step too far that people sit down on a sofa or in an air-conditioned room and say, ‘This is too much,’ or, ‘You cannot do that.’
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“I think we need to have a bit more respect for the drivers.”
Lance Stroll is currently under investigation by the FIA for his actions during the weekend.
The governing body released a statement confirming the investigation, stating:
“The FIA Compliance Officer is in discussion with Lance Stroll in relation to several incidents that may have contravened FIA rules, policies, and procedures during the Qatar Grand Prix.”