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German GP: Racing Point's strategy call pays off as Stroll finishes fourth

A quite brilliantly-timed strategy call to change Lance Stroll's car to dry tyres gave him an advantage in the latter stages of a chaotic German grand prix to give the 20-year-old a fourth place finish. 

12 points in the bag for Stroll

Max Verstappen in the Red Bull won the race ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Daniil Kvyat. But it was the SportPesa Racing Point's decision that shone through as Stroll even led the race for a handful of laps. 

Here's what the drivers and team principal Otmar Szanfnauer had to say about the race: 

Lance: "I was running at the back for most of the race; I spun a couple of times and we pitted five times! As special as it is to finish fourth, I am disappointed that the podium slipped away from us. I think a critical moment was the mistake I made in turn eight on my second or third lap on slicks, which is when Daniil [Kvyat] managed to get ahead of me.

"We tried our best to keep the quicker cars behind, but the podium was just out of reach. Today’s race shows why you should never give up because it’s never over until it’s over. It’s great to see how much this result means to the team and it was so special to see the crew celebrating on the pit wall when I crossed the line."


Sergio: "The first rule in these conditions is not to make a mistake and I did. I was picking up the power and then had some aquaplaning on the rear. I lost it and just couldn't recover from it. I put my hands up for it - I'm extremely disappointed with myself. Watching the race from the garage is always tough, but I’m happy that Lance had such a great race.  We needed those points and it’s a boost for everyone. I think we've definitely taken a step forward this weekend.”

Szanfnauer: "What a race! It was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, but to come away with fourth place for Lance and 12 points is a tremendous effort by the entire team. We rolled the dice a few times with Lance’s strategy, but we timed the final switch to dry tyres perfectly and Lance emerged in the lead of the race for a short while.

We gave it everything to try and bring home the podium and we were  looking comfortable holding off Bottas. Without the late safety car, we might have pulled it off, but the fourth place feels incredibly satisfying.

It was a fantastic drive by Lance in very tricky conditions. It was a shame Sergio couldn’t have been there too but these wet races are often a lottery.

All the cars were struggling for grip in the early laps and Sergio lost it on the exit of turn ten. Overall, though, it’s been a brilliant day for the team and a result we will celebrate.”


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