Jenson Button slams Lance Stroll for his Qatar GP garage antics, asks him to be more respectful

Lance Stroll apologized to the FIA officer as well as his trainer Henry Howe.

Jenson Button slams Lance Stroll for his Qatar GP garage antics, asks him to be more respectful

Lance Stroll and Jenson Button (via IMAGO)

Lance Stroll was recently involved in a physical meltdown with his personal trainer at the Qatar GP qualifying. Stroll failed to clear Q1 in the Qualifying session. This result obviously frustrated the driver, and he reacted in a transgressive way. He shoved his personal trainer, Henry Howe when he was just trying to guide Stroll to Parc Ferme weighing post-race. This physical altercation from Stroll has been berated by multiple people in the paddock.

Ex-world champion Jenson Button also voiced his opinions on this incident. Button claimed that he was aware of the stress that the drivers face during the race, but they needed to be respectful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYCBBVznW84

Jenson Button also added that sometimes you can be forgiven for your acts, but sometimes it’s just not right and the Qatar GP instance was one of the acts that should not have happened.. He also preached that respect within the team should be mutual and must be there if the championships are to be won.

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I understand the stress we’re under and the cameras always on a racing driver. But respect is more needed for the other people you’re working with within the team. I know it is tough; there’s so much pressure on you, and sometimes you can be forgiven for the way you act, but other times it’s just not right.
Jenson Button said, as quoted by crash.net

The ex-champion also added that Formula 1 is a grown-up sport and these actions cannot be justified.

The Aston Martin crew wasn’t ‘too concerned’ with this altercation

The team boss, Mike Krack, explained that the team wasn’t ‘too concerned’ because of this outburst. Krack claimed that when racers cannot meet their expectations, it is natural for the driver to be frustrated. He also added that the drivers face an ‘adrenaline rush’ during these moments, so they need to be away from the media as well.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Mike Krack
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Mike Krack (via IMAGO)

Krack also criticized the fans for their reaction to this bout. The boss added that the fans are always ‘too quick to judge’. He also added that fans at their homes judge the racers easily without actually facing such conditions. Krack called Formula 1 racers ‘elite sportsmen’ and commented that such reactions are natural.

Stroll has been investigated by the FIA following this altercation. He received a written warning from the compliance officer at FIA, which mentioned that FIA maintained a ‘no-tolerance’ policy over such actions. Following this warning, it was later revealed that Stroll had written an apology to the FIA officer after the incident took place.

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