Lance Stroll has attributed his qualifying struggles to being on the wrong tyre at the wrong time, as he starts from 16th for the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix.
Stroll had initially qualified 13th, as he was eliminated in Q2, but later received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
The Canadian has previously had some stunning performances in the wet, most notably taking pole position at the 2020 Turkish GP.
“Not what we were hoping for,” Stroll said to the media. “Wrong tyre at the wrong moment.
“When it was dry, we were on the wet and when it was wet, we were on the dry. I think in hindsight we should’ve just put the dries on.
“I spun and hit the wall, came back and changed the front wing and then put inters and that was probably the right time for dries.
“I was ready for dries and I was pushing for dries but maybe the team saw some forecasts that said more rain, so it was always a difficult decision to make but it is what it is.”
How far can Stroll move up the order on Sunday?
Stroll is one of the best starters in Formula 1 and Aston Martin showed strong pace on the long runs in Friday practice, which was held in dry conditions.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of the easier tracks to overtake on, but there will be some fast cars starting just ahead of Stroll.
Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez will line up in 11th, 12th and 13th so Stroll will need some luck to repeat his sixth place in Spain.
It’s not clear whether a two or one-stop strategy will be best and the chances of a safety car is high, so some variables could bring Stroll into play later in the Grand Prix.
