Carlos Sainz, the Ferrari driver, has downplayed his snappy radio messages during the Monaco Grand Prix, attributing them to the heat of the moment and the intense nature of the race.
Throughout the race, Sainz was given conflicting instructions regarding his pit stops as the team sought to undercut Esteban Ocon and secure the final podium position. Starting on hard tires, Sainz was aiming to run deep into the race. However, when Lewis Hamilton pitted on lap 32, Sainz was also called into the pits to cover Hamilton’s progress, prompting a frustrated response from the Spaniard, who emphasized his focus on Ocon by saying, “I don’t care about Hamilton!”
As rain later arrived, necessitating a switch to wet weather tires for all drivers, Sainz had to make a second pit stop en route to finishing eighth at the checkered flag. He had initially targeted a top-three finish, but struggled to maintain control in challenging conditions in Monaco.
When asked about his visible frustration with the strategy, the 28-year-old admitted that he didn’t fully comprehend the reasoning behind it at the time. However, he acknowledged that he shared some responsibility for the suboptimal strategy.
Sainz explained to Sky Sports F1 after the race, “Yeah, just high adrenaline, high excitement on the radio like always in Monaco. And today, probably at the first pit stop, it just surprised me a bit when I was coming on a very quick in-lap and I was on a hard tire thinking I was going to extend to try and overcut Esteban. We boxed, and we were one second behind, and I didn’t really get it. I will talk with them now.”
He further recognized that the risk of yellow or red flags later in the race, combined with the rain, might have influenced the team’s decision. Sainz also acknowledged that his attempt to compensate for his frustration during the first pit stop might have led to a mistimed second pit stop, accepting responsibility for the error.
Sainz had been driving with a damaged front wing for a significant portion of the race, following contact with Ocon early on. Despite the damage, he chose not to change the front wing to save time in the pit box. Reflecting on the incident, Sainz highlighted the challenging nature of the tight and narrow Monaco circuit.
“He braked exactly in the middle of the track, and I had no room on the left, no room on the right, and nearly took him with me,” Sainz explained. “I’m glad nothing happened, but it just shows that this track, also, we don’t fit. Two cars don’t fit, and it’s too narrow nowadays.”
While frustrations and challenges arose during the Monaco Grand Prix, Sainz remains determined and focused on learning from the experience. He will work closely with the Ferrari team to analyze the strategy and make improvements for future races, maintaining a resilient attitude as the championship progresses.
