Formula 1: Lance Stroll is tested mentally and physically, admits Racing...

MONTREAL – Racing Point Technical Director Andrew Green makes no secret of it; Lance Stroll is going through a rough patch and “has been struggling mentally and physically” for some time.

Stroll, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on October 29, hasn’t earned a single ranking point in the last five Formula 1 races.

“He’s not where he should be,” Green told F1.com website. It’s obvious; since Monza he’s lacking confidence, and we’ll have to work on that over the next week to get him back into a good state of mind.

“The virus (COVID-19) knocked him out, that’s for sure, and we didn’t see it coming. We were aware that it might take a while to recover, and I believe that is what is happening right now. “

Several observers believed the Mont-Tremblant rider was on the verge of hatching after amassing points in seven of the first eight races on the 2020 calendar, a streak that culminated with his third place at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 6. Stroll then occupied fourth place in the general classification with 57 points, behind Lewis Hamilton (164), Valtteri Bottas (117) and Max Verstappen (110).

Then, it was the fuel exhaustion. The hecatomb.

The Quebecer was involved in violence off the track at the Grand Prix of Tuscany and lost control of his car at the Grand Prix of Russia. He then stepped out of the Eifel Grand Prix due to “malaise”, which were actually symptoms of the coronavirus. He had then become the second driver this season in F1 – after his teammate Sergio Perez – to receive a positive diagnosis for COVID-19.

Back on the track in Portugal, Stroll was unable to reach the finish line after a collision with McLaren driver Lando Norris at the entrance to turn 1. It was at this same point that Stroll had come into contact with Verstappen a few days earlier, angering the Dutchman.

Stroll was not at the end of his troubles, however. He was the victim of a collision with the Renault driver Esteban Ocon on the first lap of the Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna, torpedoing his chances of garnering a few classification points, before hitting one of his mechanics at the end of the race. during a pit stop.

“He just needs to get his confidence back, believe in him again, and then we’ll find the Lance who excelled for the first two-thirds of the season,” said Green.

“He was tried mentally and physically. It was a big accident in Mugello; It may have damaged his confidence, then he was not in great shape in the last few races, ”he recalled.

As a result, Stroll is now 11th in the drivers’ standings, 25 points behind Perez. The Canadian will try to come out of his torpor at the next Grand Prix which will take place in Turkey, on November 15, at Istanbul Park.