Sport

Lance Stroll Faces Grid Penalty After Shocking Collision with Charles Leclerc

2025-05-23

Author: Michael

In a gripping twist at the Monaco Grand Prix, Lance Stroll has been slapped with a one-place grid penalty by race stewards following an unexpected collision with Charles Leclerc during practice.

The drama unfolded early in the challenging street circuit session. Stroll, attempting to be courteous, veered off the racing line to let Kimi Antonelli pass. But as he maneuvered back onto the track, Leclerc, unable to avoid him, crashed into Stroll, prompting the deployment of red flags to clear debris.

After reviewing the incident, officials concluded that Stroll was "wholly to blame for the collision," firmly placing the responsibility on the Canadian driver while exonerating Leclerc, who simply could not steer clear in time.

In addition to the grid penalty, Stroll received a penalty point on his super-licence, raising his total to three within a rolling year period—a concerning statistic for any driver.

Leclerc, on the other hand, bounced back from the incident to dominate the remaining practice session, clocking the fastest lap time. Meanwhile, Stroll’s misfortunes continued as he was forced to retire early due to rear suspension damage and the need for a gearbox change, ultimately finishing at the bottom of the timesheets.

As the F1 world gears up for the main event, all eyes will be on Stroll to see how he navigates this setback and whether Leclerc can maintain his momentum.