Racing Point Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll admits that he is “surviving” on engine miles as he is heading for a crucial third down in the constructor’s position in Abu Dhabi.
Wrestling points with millions of dollars in prize fund money on the final classification of the three teams at the Constructors World Championship are just 10 points ahead of McLaren and Renault 22 clear.
Racing Point made his task difficult when Sakir decided to give Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez a new power unit in the final weekend of the season, while promising to start from the back.
However the team has gambled with the Stroll and has put a high mileage engine in its car at the end of this car.
Emilia Romagna G.P. Meanwhile after losing use of the power unit in its massive crash, the engine has easily run out of use, forcing the third instance of its season to do a lot of mileage in the rest of the race.
It rained at N નrburgring on Friday and he got back a few miles when his car was absent from the FP3 due to illness.
Strail qualified in eighth in Abu Dhabi, two ahead of Renault but behind McLarens, Lando Norris in fourth and Carlos Signs Jr. in sixth.
“I mean, we’re living on engine miles this week,” Canadian Aut told ToSport.
“Checo’s new engine has arrived. Due to the puncture in Mugollo, we hit the engine very hard.
“It was toast, and because we lost it we had to get a new one, so this one went a long way.
“Because I think the session for Kovid has been lost, I think we’ve been able to plan that kind of thing by the end of the year. I don’t want to talk too soon.
“We had a lot of races where we weren’t sure if we would change the engine and we were really trying to pull it off by the end of the season.
“But it’s a long race tomorrow, a lot can happen.
“We’re in a fight with McLaren, and they’re starting in a good position.”
Stroll conceded that the race could be compromised in its lap times, as the extra mileage of its engine was completed.
“Maybe dig a tenth or something – but it’s racing, a lot can happen,” he said.
“We have a fast car, a good strategy, a good start, so a lot can happen tomorrow.”
Perez will start the 19th as Haas driver Kevin Magnusen also has an engine penalty.
Asked if he had nothing to lose later – winning after his first incident since last weekend and Pittstop put him down to order – Mexico said that was not the case.
Plus: Perez’s victory in Russell’s race was almost an invisible mistake
“We have a lot to lose tomorrow,” he told Sky F1.
“He still needs a very good race from our side, we have to make sure we go to the points, well between them, because the championship fight is very tight.
“So we have to make sure we have a strong race tomorrow and we will make as much progress as possible.”
Perez revealed that knowing he will start from the back of the team means the team can focus on his efforts to give him a good car for the race.
“We’ve put everything together for the race, we’ve focused on every bit of the race,” he said.
“We’ll see what we can do, but a lot can happen tomorrow.”
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