Lance Stroll will start Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix from 17th but it was his behaviour after qualifying which attracted attention; watch the Sprint Shootout at 2pm on Saturday and the Sprint Race at 6.30pm, when Max Verstappen could become champion - live on Sky Sports F1
Friday 6 October 2023 21:22, UK
Lance Stroll's behaviour after qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix was "totally inappropriate", says Sky Sports F1's Naomi Schiff.
Stroll was eliminated in Q1 for the fourth consecutive race as he qualified 17th for Sunday's race and appeared to push his trainer after he got out of the car.
He gave a very short interview to F1 when he gave six words to three questions, underlining his disappointment.
"It's totally inappropriate. You cannot behave in that way," said Schiff in reference to Stroll seemingly pushing his trainer.
"No matter how disappointing your day has been, those are the people that work to get you on track, to make it happen for you, you can't be treating your team like that.
"It's one thing to have a bad day, come out of the car and apologise. But to come out and act that way is just not good enough.
"He's clearly distressed. We have to empathise because he's a human-being, he's got his emotions. He's going through something but that doesn't make it OK. You have to act better.
"Felipe Drugovich [Aston Martin's reserve driver] is in the wings and he would more than grateful to be in that car and won't behave that way."
Fernando Alonso is 127 points ahead of Stroll and has started every race inside the top 10, whereas the Canadian has only achieved that feat six times this season.
Alonso is 15-2 ahead in the qualifying head-to-head over Stroll, who missed the Singapore Grand Prix after a big crash in Q1.
Aston Martin are fourth in the constructors' championship but only 49 points in front of McLaren, who have been quicker at recent events.
Karun Chandhok thinks Stroll's disappointing performances will drop the team to fifth in the standings with six events remaining.
"It's cost them in the constructors' championship. Earlier in the year, we were looking at them being second in the constructors and they are likely to end up fifth with the way McLaren have caught up with them," said Chandhok.
"The reality is he has scored less than a third of Alonso's points. McLaren have benefitted that they two drivers racking up the points and it's allowed them to catch up."
Saturday October 7
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