Stroll: "A great result and a great birthday present"

Lance Stroll recorded a sixth-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming his second best finish of the season. The Canadian, who turned 19 today, was happy to receive "a great birthday present" in the form of his finishing position.

Stroll qualified in twelfth place, almost a second down on his teammate Felipe Massa. However, in the race, Stroll moved forward and benefitted massively from a virtual safety car that was deployed when Brendon Hartley's Toro Rosso came to halt.

Summarising his day, Stroll said: "I think it was a very controlled race. I had a really good start, but then lost some positions as I was on the outside. There were some technical issues and crashes and so I gained some places due to that. We had a good idea all along, assuming I was going to stay in one piece and everything was going to continue along smoothly, we could have a good race.

"I had a great first stint, a great second stint and in the end I wasn't quite close enough to get into the DRS zone to pass Ocon. I was really managing the tyres and the car was balanced very well, so a big thanks to the team. It was a great day, a great result and a great birthday present."

Stroll also offered his congratulations to Lewis Hamilton, who took his fourth world title at the race in Mexico City: "Big congratulations to Lewis, he is the king of Formula One, there is no doubt about it. It is incredible what he has accomplished. He is a big inspiration for young drivers like me."

Fergal Walsh