During the race, Carlos Sainz came close to colliding with Charles Leclerc on lap 3 as he tried to pass the Monegasque driver. Leclerc appeared displeased with Sainz’s maneuver, which had the potential to force both drivers out of the race.
This incident raised questions about why Leclerc was unhappy. Sainz explained that he felt the need to be aggressive because he had switched to soft tires, which allowed him to go faster. The Spaniard emphasized that this strategic decision was crucial to his chances of winning the race.
At the start of the race, Sainz was unsure about what had happened to Leclerc. He found Leclerc’s complaints to be unfounded and off the mark. However, Sainz recognized that he couldn’t afford to stay behind Leclerc and had to push forward in order to win his home race.
During a post-race interview, team principal Fred Vasseur addressed the matter involving his drivers. He believed that Leclerc was complaining because he had lost a second or half a second while battling with Sainz. Vasseur stated that there was no significant damage to Leclerc’s car and that the complaints were merely a way to deflect from the main issue. He also mentioned that data analysis revealed ten other instances where Leclerc lost a second. The collision between the two drivers was minor and did not cause any significant setbacks during the race.
Vasseur admitted that the team’s strategy failed to capitalize on opportunities. Towards the end of the race, Leclerc was just one lap away from catching up to Russell. Despite starting at fifth and sixth positions, both drivers finished in the same position. Vasseur acknowledged that the team needs to improve their performance in qualifying sessions in order to achieve better overall results.
In summary, Fredric Vasseur believed that Carlos Sainz’s overtake did not damage Leclerc’s car and that it was solely Leclerc’s responsibility for not defending his position. Fans are hoping for a strong performance from Ferrari in the upcoming race in Austria, as the team has not scored any points since Canada and only managed to secure 18 points in Barcelona.