Racing Point have provided an explanation for why Lance Stroll struggled in the second half of the Turkish Grand Prix and lost several places after he put on a new set of intermediate tyres.
Specifically, the Silverstone-based team, which is owned by Lance’s father, Lawrence Stroll, has revealed that the front wing of Stroll’s RP20 sustained damage in the race.
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This “significantly” hurt his pace and aggravated the graining of his tyres as the damp Intercity Istanbul Park circuit began to dry out.
“During the team’s routine post-race car set down, we discovered damage to the underside of Lance Stroll’s front wing that was a significant contributor to the graining issues he experienced during his 2nd and 3rd stints on the intermediate tyres at the Turkish Grand Prix,” Racing Point said in a statement.
Continuing, the team noted: “Lance reported poor tyre performance, significant understeer and graining from lap 17 onwards in the race. Pitting for a fresh set of intermediates on lap 36 failed to resolve the problem, with the graining becoming even more severe.
“One of the strakes on the underside of the front wing had come loose and lodged itself in such a way that the blockage caused a significant loss of front downforce. The resultant loss of front downforce contributed to increased levels of graining.
“Data during the race confirmed there was a significant loss of front downforce – but with no visible damage to the top side of the front wing, combined with the low-grip conditions, it was difficult to confirm whether the data was correct.
“It was only after the race, when the car returned to the garage, that the damage and blockage to the underside of the front wing was discovered,” the team added.
Lance Stroll took his first F1 pole position on Saturday and for the opening half of the grand prix, he appeared to be in an excellent position to take victory.
However, he dropped to P4 after pitting for a new set of intermediates and continued to lose places as he lost pace due to the aforementioned damage on his car.
He crossed the finish line in ninth position, while team-mate Sergio Perez finished the Turkish Grand Prix in P2.
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