F3: Stroll "couldn't see Giovinazzi" in crash

Ferrari Driver Academy protege Lance Stroll says the contact that triggered his barrel-roll in the Formula 3 European Championship at Monza happened because he could not see rival Antonio Giovinazzi.

The 16-year-old Canadian was battling for fifth with championship leader Giovinazzi when the crash happened entering the Curva Grande in last Saturday's second race.

European F3 race abandoned due to poor driving standards

Stroll had just repassed Giovinazzi into the Rettifilo chicane, but his compromised line meant he was slow on the exit. Giovinazzi drew to the outside as they approached the right-handed Curva Grande, but Stroll left the Italian no room on the left, squeezing him onto the grass.

Contact between the two cars pitched Stroll over the front of Giovinazzi and into the roll, in which he hit the top of the barriers and the outer fence.

"It's difficult to say – it happened so quickly," said Stroll when asked for his account of the incident. "I overtook Antonio in the chicane, went a bit long and he got a run.

"With these big airboxes we have on the left-hand side it's difficult to see in the mirror, so I couldn't exactly know where he was. I just tried to keep my line, but after the little kink there was no more room.

"It happened so quickly and then I was in the air."

Giovinazzi, who had made a slow start because of an engine-temperature issue, said: "You could see what happened. I tried to overtake Lance and he put me in the grass and came over my front wing."

Prema Powerteam fixed the car for Sunday's race and Stroll, suffering only minor back stiffness, finished ninth.

Stroll was ordered to start this race from the pitlane by stewards, but an appeal from Prema – which has yet to be heard – meant he started from his grid position.

Originally on Autosport.com