Lance Stroll believes that Williams performed “above and beyond” during the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix weekend, allowing him to take his second points-scoring finish of 2018.
Stroll crossed the line in 10th place, before a disqualification for Romain Grosjean moved the Canadian up to ninth and gave team-mate Sergey Sirotkin his first point of his career.
Monza has been a track that has treated Stroll well in the past, starting second on the grid and managing to finish the race in seventh in 2017.
“It’s very satisfying,” said Stroll. “I almost forgot what it felt like to score a point. It’s been a tough run. It’s going to sink in later and we will definitely celebrate in style tonight.
“I’ve had my eyes on this one for a while. I knew we were going to have a tough run with the car’s performance but I was eying Monza and I said to myself if we can nail it in Monza, there’s potentially a good result up for grabs.
“And we did it this weekend. We nailed it yesterday in qualifying. We had a good slipstream, I put my lap together. And today in the race, it was steady with no mistakes.”
The Williams team remains at the bottom of the constructors’ championship standings but the Italian Grand Prix marks its first double points finish of the season.
“This weekend we went above and beyond where we were actually supposed to finish because of the job the guys did this weekend. We were on it from first practice. We just pieced the puzzle together. That’s what this sport comes down to. You have to take the opportunities when they come.
“I think it’s one of those weekends where we just did a really good job operationally. On a track like this, every driver is looking for the slipstream, there’s so much more to it than just going out, doing a lap and getting the pace out of the car.
“There’s a lot to do with slipstream and downforce levels and stuff. Here this weekend we just did a great job operationally. Yesterday in qualifying, as I said, I put my lap together.
“Today in the race, a trouble-free race and I had a good start again where I made a few places – I was up to eighth I believe. No lock-ups, steady pace and managed my tyres.”
