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Lance Stroll keeps Turkish Grand Prix pole after stewards' probeStroll was cleared after being investigated for failing to slow sufficiently for waved yellow flags
AFP
Last Updated IST
Racing Point's Canadian driver Lance Stroll drives during the qualifying session in Istanbul. Credit: AFP
Racing Point's Canadian driver Lance Stroll drives during the qualifying session in Istanbul. Credit: AFP

Lance Stroll retained his maiden pole position after a stewards investigation into an incident in which he allegedly ignored yellow flags during Saturday's qualifying at the Turkish Grand Prix.

The 22-year-old Canadian's success was placed in doubt when he was summoned to see the stewards as they investigated a series of infringements of the rules during the prolonged and chaotic rainswept session.

Stroll was cleared after being investigated for failing to slow sufficiently for waved yellow flags.

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He was summoned to see the stewards for allegedly ignoring the flags at Turn Seven where his Racing Point team-mate Sergio Perez had gone off.

The guideline Event Notes for the Grand Prix said that drivers must "reduce speed and be prepared to change direction" if they see waved yellow flags.

The Canadian driver was told "yellow flag" on his team radio and then "that was a single yellow - keep pushing" during his pole-clinching lap in Q3.

In a statement, the stewards said they had heard from Stroll and his team and reviewed video, telemetry and marshalling system evidence.

"By telemetry, car 18 clearly came off the throttle, coasted into the corner, and then accelerated when clear of the incident," the stewards said.

"Sector times do not clearly show this as the track was rapidly drying and each lap was quicker than the preceding lap."

Stroll is the first Canadian since Jacques Villeneuve to claim a Formula One pole position.

In the same series of investigations, McLaren's Carlos Sainz was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Perez as he left the pits.

The Spaniard was told he failed to make way for the Mexican quickly enough.

Lando Norris of McLaren and Nicholas Latifi of Williams were also under investigation for ignoring yellow flags during qualifying.

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(Published 14 November 2020, 23:31 IST)