RaceFans Round-up: First-lap collision with Alonso was “bad timing”

In brief

Stroll relieved not to eliminate team mate

Stroll admitted he was “really lucky” not to take Alonso out when he hit his team mate on the first lap of yesterday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, while he was dicing with George Russell.

“I brake late to stay in front of George, Fernando went for a cut back on Hamilton in turn four and it was just really bad timing,” Stroll explained afterwards. “We came together, so we’re really lucky to get away with that one.”

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack said “these things in lap one can happen” and the team would continue to let its two drivers fight for position. “I don’t like to see that either, that is clear, but we let them race in lap one and lap two and continuously so it’s something that you know can happen.”

Hauger infuriated by “unbelievable” engine failure

Red Bull junior team member Dennis Hauger was dismayed at retiring from the second race of the season due to a failure on his Formula 2 engine. “In race two we had a technical issue with the turbo mainly which just ruined our race,” the MP Motorsport driver explained. “We could easily have been on the podium with the pace we had shown.”

“Unbelievable to see the engine already fail before we have even completed a full race weekend,” Hauger continued. “But at least we know we have good pace and can go into next race with good confidence to gain back our lost points.”

Vesti gets Jeddah penalty

Frederik Vesti has been given a five-place grid penalty for the next race of the Formula 2 championship. On the opening lap of the Bahrain feature race, Vesti lunged down the inside of turn four to then hit Richard Verschoor, who spun as a result of the contact.

The stewards deemed Vesti “wholly at fault for the collision”, ruling Verschoor left sufficient room at the apex. The Prema driver will be penalised at the next race he competes in, which should be the sprint race in Saudi Arabia at the next round of the championship. Two penalty points have also been added to his record.