Stroll "shocked" by maiden F1 pole position at Turkish GP
Lance Stroll admitted he was 'shocked' to secure his maiden Formula 1 pole position in the chaotic wet qualifying session for the Turkish Grand Prix
With Saturday afternoon's action being hit by multiple red flags, Stroll kept his cool and a change on to intermediate tyre helped him claim the top spot in the final stages of Q3.
The Canadian, who has not scored a point since he finished on the podium at the Italian Grand Prix in September, ended up 0.290 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen who had looked in control of things earlier on.
Speaking after the session, Stroll said he could not quite believe what had happened, especially because Racing Point had not looked so competitive in free practice.
"I'm shocked," said Stroll. "I didn't expect us to be up here after P3.
"There were a lot of things that we weren't sure of coming into qualifying.
"We didn't look too competitive in P3, but I'm so happy right now.
"I really put that lap together at the end. I was under a lot of pressure and I only had one lap to do it there at the end, because we started on the wet tyre.
"We boxed for inters and I had one lap where Valtteri [Bottas] spun in front of me, and then I had one lap at the end to do it.
"But I had the confidence in the car and I just nailed pretty much every corner, and pieced it together nicely.
"It's such a great way to bounce back after a few rough weeks and since Mugello really it's been a rough ride for me so. Yeah. Feels good. Feels really good right now."
Stroll's teammate Sergio Perez had topped the times in the early stages of Q3, but says he lost out on keeping in front as the track improved after being held up by Alfa Romeo's Antonio Giovinazzi.
"It is a great result for the team and something we weren't really expecting," said Perez, who ended up third behind Verstappen. "In the end, we were just unlucky.
"My final lap, when the track was at its best, I had Giovinazzi in front and he simply didn't move out of the way and then I lost my lap.
"Obviously, track position was key today: to be able to maintain your temperature in the tyres.
"And I think we are in a good position. I definitely prefer P3 [on the grid] than P2. I think tomorrow that will make a difference."
F1 Turkish GP: Stroll claims maiden pole in perilous conditions
Hamilton: Turkish GP qualifying "the least enjoyable" of F1 career
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures