Stroll: I was as safe as I could be in Imola F1 marshal incident

Lance Stroll has revealed he wasn't given any advanced warning that there were F1 marshals still on the track when unlapping himself at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last time out.

Footage shortly after the race at Imola emerged showing Stroll approaching the Acqua Minerale corner at considerable speed with marshals still on the Imola circuit.

Stroll and five other drivers had been given the signal to overtake the Safety Car to unlap themselves as marshals continued to clear debris from the circuit due to George Russell’s earlier shunt.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel had warned race control there were marshals still on the circuit.

Ahead of this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix, Stroll explained that he wasn’t warned that there would be marshals still on the circuit.

“I hadn’t been warned of them, no,” Stroll said. “I was given the message that the lapped cars were allowed to overtake the Safety Car and catch the back of the train so I followed those instructions. I saw the marshal on the track, of course, and I immediately lifted off and backed off.

“I was as safe as I could be in that section of the track but I wasn’t warned and I wasn’t expecting to see anyone on the track once I got the message that I was allowed to overtake the Safety Car and catch the back of the train. Thankfully there was nothing bad that happened there but for sure we will have to address it and make sure something like that doesn’t happen again.”

It has been a difficult run of races for Stroll, having failed to score points since his podium finish at the Italian Grand Prix in September.

Reflecting on his recent run of form, Stroll said: “It hasn’t been fun, I am not going to lie. It’s been frustrating at times. This sport is a rollercoaster. I’ve had some highs at the beginning of the season, up until Monza really it’s been a great season for me but unfortunately, now I’ve gone through a rough patch.

“There’s nothing I can do about it. In hindsight, there are definitely some things I believe I could have done differently, there have been some mistakes I’ve made in some of the races which cost me some points but then there’s been some unfortunate circumstances like in Mugello, like Russia then of course missing the race in Nurburgring was far from ideal. That’s in the past now, there’s nothing that I can do about it.

“Instead of dwelling on it, I am looking forward to the next four races. I know we have a strong package and there’s plenty of opportunity in the next four races to come back strong and my sights are set on this weekend as it stands and of course the remainder of the season.”