Lance 𓆏Stroll says Williams “can’t assume” it will be able to replicate its improved performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at upcoming Formula 1 races

Williams has endured a t🅷ough start to the new campaign and has lagged behind its midfield rivals, but enjoyed a step up in performance in Baku as the team scored its first points of ♌the season.

Stroll and Sergey Siro𒁃tkin impressed in qualifying and narrowly missed out on a spot in Q3 as they finished 11th and 12th respectively, before Stroll took advantage of a crazy race to claim eighth position. 

But the Canadian, who became F1’🐬s youngest-ever podium finisher at the 2017 event, has urged Williams to keep its expectations grounded heading to the next race in Spain, with the Grove-based squad still langu🌜ishing bottom of the constructors’ standings and six points adrift of Sauber. 

“I am happy with P8 and it was a good race for the team𒀰 but we can't assume this pace will carry on to Barcelona, we have to understand our issues and keep working but that is just wh🎃at we are doing,” Stroll said. 

Stroll felt he had the♌ pace to finish even higher, but admits he was “surprised” by McLaren’s Fernando Alonso, who pipped Stroll to seventh with an opportunistic pass at Turn 3 in the closing stages. 

“It was a crazy race. So much happened. There were perhaps one or two more positions if we did🍌 everything perfectly, but no one had a perfect race ꦗtoday. 

“In that battle with Fernando at the end I think I shoul♛d have heldꦕ him there, but he surprised me into turn three. 

“I didn't really s🌟ee him coming back on the inside and he just managed to sneak through, but that was probably the only little bit we missed today.”

Teammate Sirotkin failed to complete a single lap on Sunday after being forced into retirement with suspension damage following ꦕan opening-lap collision with Alonso. The Russian, who has been hit with a three-place grid penalty at the Spanish Grand Prix for causing the incident, insists there was nothing he could do to avoid contact.

"It was such a mess in the first few corners,” he explained. “I was between two cars heading into turn three and I was just slowly and progressively squeezed between the two cars, as I was in the middle.ꦯ 

“At a point I saw I was not going to avoid a crash so I justꦓ lifted, hoping they would squeeze me but not hit me that much, but then already there was nothing I could do.&n꧙bsp;

“We touched, my car jumped and when I landed, I broke my front suspension and my wing. I am just really sorry for this, as it is such a long race, but I unꦫderstand that we all want to gain positions at the start.”