Stroll learning from pressure of racing at front

Lance Stroll views his front-row start in the Italian Grand Prix as a major learning experience in his rookie Formula 1 season.

The 18-year-old started from the front row for the first time in his F1 career at Monza after excelling in a wet qualifying session and being promoted from fourth place due to grid penalties for both Red Bull drivers. The Canadian lost out to Esteban Ocon at the start and was stuck behind the Force India for the rest of the race, finishing seventh at the checkered flag.

"For sure this was a real opportunity [to learn]," Stroll told Sky Sports. "Being in the positions where I was, under pressure, pit stops being important, attacking, defending, using the best engine modes at the right time, knowing when is the best time to push the overtake button, when is the best time to use the deployment, to overtake the car in front of me... Those are things I learn every time I jump in the car, and I take every opportunity to race in the way I raced.

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"Races like [Italy], Baku, even Austria where I finished in 10th place, they were all in pretty similar circumstances to the ones I had, so I just feel I'm getting better and better when I have the chance to race like I did [at Monza]."

While acknowledging the significance of his first front-row start in F1, Stroll says it was encouraging to know pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton was not concerned about how the teenager would deal with the situation.

'I felt for Lewis, it must have felt really nervous starting next to me on the grid, a guy with no experience!" Stroll joked. "It was a very special moment for me, especially at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

"[Qualifying] was the highlight of the weekend, to be able to do what I did in tricky conditions, when the car doesn't matter so much and it comes down to the driver. To capitalize on those moments is very special.

"Lewis and I are cool, he knows I won't do anything stupid and that's good there's that respect there. He definitively trusted me, I was talking to him before the start of the race and he didn't worry about me smashing into him at the first corner."