Lance Stroll made it four consecutive points-scoring races for Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team after finishing eighth in the Styrian Grand Prix.
Both Lance and team-mate Sebastian Vettel battled in the close midfield fight in pursuit of another double-points finish as the margins were made narrower by the short Red Bull Ring lap.
Lance
Lance's result owed a lot to his superb start from ninth on the grid. As Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly battled into Turn One, Lance joined the pack for the long run uphill.
Carrying great momentum, he was in prime position when Leclerc and Gasly tangled to move into eighth, outpacing Alonso as they descended into Turn Four.
Lance launched a move around the outside to move into seventh, which instantly became sixth when Leclerc pitted due to his earlier contact.
"We made a strong start and ran in the pack with Fernando [Alonso], Charles [Leclerc] and Pierre [Gasly]," said Lance.
"There was a little bit of contact ahead, which helped us gain some places, and I managed to overtake Fernando to move into sixth."
Race report
Get the full story from the Styrian Grand Prix and go inside Lance's battle into the points. Dive into the facts and figures behind the race and hear from Sebastian, Lance and Otmar.
The Canadian spent the rest of his stint on the used Soft tyre before pitting for a switch to new Hards on lap 28 of 71.
A superb 2.2s pitstop meant Lance returned in 11th, and he cycled back into sixth as the pitstops played out.
He would put in a display of defensive driving in a bid to hold off the two Ferraris of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, who both had the benefit of fresher tyre advantage.
While Lance would lose out to the duo late on, his consistent pace throughout the race ensured he kept Alonso behind, securing eighth at the finish.
"We were racing well inside the points throughout the race, and it was exciting to be in a battle from the first lap until the end," added Lance.
P8 is a good result, and we can be happy with a positive weekend from the very first lap on Friday.
"Fernando was always close in the race, so it was maximum attack from there to the end. It was a fun battle throughout the race.
"P8 is a good result, and we can be happy with a positive weekend from the very first lap on Friday.
"We are racing here again next weekend, so we will go away and understand where we can find gains to be even stronger next weekend."
Sebastian
Sebastian would also make an encouraging start to the Grand Prix and, by the end of the first lap, he had gained two places to run in 12th.
The early phases were spent duelling Sainz, and the pair had a to-and-fro battle into Turn Four on the second lap.
The German dispatched Daniel Ricciardo for 11th soon after in a bid to make the top 10, following his Ferrari rival through in the process.
Sainz then created a train of cars as Sebastian ran just inside the DRS range through the first stint.
He would inherit 10th on the 26th lap when George Russell was forced to retire, moving into ninth shortly after as Yuki Tsunoda pitted.
Sebastian switched to a set of new Hard tyres on the following lap as he continued to fight for the points.
It is always very easy to say we should have done things differently in hindsight, but we are focused on coming back stronger.
However, lock-ups in battles with Leclerc hindered his second stint, and Sebastian began to struggle for grip late in the race, crossing the line in 12th as a result.
"It was a tough race today. The midfield was very close, and we were in the battle for points for the majority of the race," reflected Sebastian.
"However, we spent a lot of time in traffic, and I was struggling for grip towards the end. When everyone is so closely matched, these factors can really impact your race and the final result."
The team is already preparing for the second Austrian race, and Sebastian’s ready to bounce back.
"It is always very easy to say we should have done things differently in hindsight, but we are focused on coming back stronger next weekend," he added.
"The tyres are one step softer for the Austrian Grand Prix, for example, so there is plenty of preparation work ahead in the coming days."
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