Aston Martin suffered an early setback in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after Lance Stroll was instructed to bring his vehicle to a halt.
The British constructor’s Racing Point predecessor, Force India, had come into the weekend enjoying success on the track, having secured a double points finish in the previous round in Abu Dhabi.
However, Stroll’s day in Riyadh was brought to a premature conclusion, with the Canadian being instructed to park his car due to a technical issue.
The exact source of the problem has yet to be identified, but the team are confident that it can be rectified in time for Sunday’s race, which will be the first day-night event in the sport’s history.
Stroll, who is racing for Aston Martin for the first time this season, completed just 12 laps, setting a best time of 1:40.959.
The 21-year-old had been hoping to build on his strong finish in Abu Dhabi, where he finished seventh, but will now have to wait until Sunday’s race to get his first taste of competitive action for his new team.
Aston Martin endured a difficult start to life in Formula One, with the team failing to score a single point in the first two races of the season.
However, with Stroll having shown signs of promise in the last race in Abu Dhabi, the team are hopeful that they can finally break their duck and secure their first points of the year in Saudi Arabia.