The (unenvied) new Formula 1 record of Lance Stroll. Lance Stroll now holds one of Formula 1’s historic records, though it’s nothing to be particularly proud of..

Lance Stroll, an F1 record holder
Lance Stroll now holds one of Formula 1’s historic records, though it’s nothing to be particularly proud of. With Sunday’s Singapore GP, the young Canadian from Aston Martin is officially at the top of the list of drivers who have raced the most grands prix without ever setting the fastest lap. Stroll is now tied with Johnny Herbert at 161 starts without ever clocking the fastest lap in a race, but it’s clear that the statistic could worsen in the upcoming races.

An unusual record for modern Formula 1
If Lance Stroll fails to set the fastest lap at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, scheduled for the weekend of October 20, he will move to 162 races without a fastest lap, becoming the absolute record holder. This is quite an unusual record for a modern-era driver, especially considering that with the extra point awarded to the driver who sets the fastest lap — provided they finish in the top ten — and with the current grid balance and tires that degrade significantly over a stint, it’s increasingly rare for the race winner to also set the fastest lap.

Ocon and Albon join Stroll
As seen at the Marina Bay weekend with Daniel Ricciardo, sometimes it only takes a late pit stop and a set of fresh tires to secure the fastest lap of the race. Not surprisingly, before the Australian driver set the fastest time at the Singapore Grand Prix, Kevin Magnussen had already snatched the extra point from Lando Norris, but the lap was invalidated for exceeding track limits. Stroll isn’t the only driver on the grid included in this unenviable category: along with the Canadian, Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon have also raced 151 and 99 GPs respectively without ever setting the fastest lap.