15/10/2023
NEWS STORY
Lance Stroll has been officially warned by the FIA following his behaviour on the opening day of the Qatar weekend.
While throwing his steering wheel in anger and giving a terse six-word response in a post-session interview were widely frowned upon, it was his physical manhandling of his performance coach Henry Howe that caused an outcry on social media and within the paddock, leading to the intervention of the sport’s governing body.
Having confirmed that its Compliance Officer would investigate Stroll's actions to see if he had breached the sport’s Code of Ethics, the FIA has now revealed that the Aston Martin driver has been given an official warning.
"We can confirm that the FIA Compliance Officer has received an apology from Lance Stroll regarding his actions during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix," reads a statement issued by the governing body.
"The Compliance Officer has noted this apology and issued a written warning, reminding Lance of his responsibilities as a competitor bound by the FIA Code of Ethics and other FIA ethical and conduct guidelines set forth by the sporting regulations.
"The FIA maintains a zero-tolerance stance against misconduct and condemns any actions that may lead to physical harassment."
The official warning comes at a time the Canadian youngster is clearly losing focus, having had a string of disappointing performances and being roundly crushed by his veteran teammate.