‘Ridiculous he didn’t get a penalty’ – Stroll furious with 'sloppy' Leclerc after Lap 1 clash
Lance Stroll's Russian Grand Prix lasted only three corners after he was nudged into a crash on the opening lap by Charles Lelcerc – and the Canadian said it was "ridiculous" the Ferrari driver was not handed a penalty for the incident.
Stroll started 12th and had climbed up several positions on a frantic first lap that also saw Carlos Sainz crash out at Turn 2, before he was tapped on his right rear by Leclerc as they went into Turn 4. The contact caused Stroll to spin and crash straight into the barriers.
WATCH: Sainz out of Russian GP on opening lap after Turn 2 crash
The Racing Point driver was unhurt – but was certainly not happy with Leclerc's driving.
"Very sloppy from his part and I gave him all the room," he said. "I’m quite surprised that he didn’t get a penalty. I gave him plenty of room I did the whole corner on the outside and he just tagged my right rear.
"I gave him all the room I could and it was unlucky but he could have avoided it. He didn’t have to run so wide into me, so I think it’s kind of ridiculous that he didn’t get a penalty," he added.
Stroll's disappointment was exacerbated by the fact he thought a big haul of points could have been on the cards in Sochi.
"A lot was possible," he said. "We were seventh at that point, I had a great start, we were on a good tyre so it’s a real shame."
Having scored points in seven consecutive races heading into Tuscany, Stroll has now crashed out of two straight races.
Next Up
Related Articles
WATCH: The 10 best battles of the 2025 season so far
F1 AcademyKosterman secures Zandvoort Wild Card entry
Stella surprised by level of McLaren's dominance in 2025
Watch the drivers face Grill the Grid’s ‘spot the mistake’ challenge
F1 FantasyWin £2000 in F1 Fantasy's Mid-season Masters Mini League
Half Term Reports 2025How Red Bull's 2025 season has played out so far