Lance Stroll scored his first Formula 1 points with a strong ninth place at his home Grand Prix in Canada Sunday.

Stroll has been in for more than his fair share of criticism across his first seven races but, now on a run of four consecutive finishes, the 18-year-old Canadian has answered his critics by scoring two points for his efforts.

“It’s just special; it feels so good in so many ways,” said an overjoyed Stroll. “Words can’t really describe it. All I can say is that it’s been a tricky beginning of the season. We’ve known that we’re capable of doing it and there’s just been so much stuff in the way of being able to just get points.

“Contact, technical issues and today we just had a clean day and that’s what I was saying at the beginning of the weekend: it’s about having a clean weekend, a clean Sunday and I was positive it would come to us. That’s exactly what happened today.

“It’s special to be able to overtake and fight. It’s not every race -- sometimes it’s boring and you just finish where you start but today wasn’t like that. Today was just a lot of fun.”

Stroll didn’t have things all his own way in the race and had to pass plenty of more established drivers, including two-time champion Fernando Alonso. His strong performance was even noticed by runaway winner Lewis Hamilton who, when putting a lap on the Williams driver, gave a small thumbs up in recognition of his drive.

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams has been a great supporter of Stroll throughout his young Formula 1 career and has publicly backed the Canadian in the press. Now she feels as though he has proven that the potential is there.

“He’s had a tough start to the year, and to have a race like today and score his first points, every rookie wants to do that and that’s what he did today,” Williams said. “It was fantastic to see and for it to happen at his home Grand Prix, it couldn’t have been any better.

“All of his family is here, we’ve got so many friends and I think it’s just a dream come true for him.”

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