Carlos Sainz was penalized for altering his car components during a Grand Prix despite the fact that the damage to his Ferrari SF-23 was solely caused by the negligence of the FIA.
Carlos Sainz had joined Ferrari in 2021 with high expectations after a successful period at McLaren. The Spaniard has performed admirably alongside his teammate and has occasionally outperformed him, despite the teammate being the more experienced Ferrari driver. Last year, Sainz impressed everyone by securing the only non-Red Bull Grand Prix victory of the season with his exceptional performance at the Singapore GP.
However, 2023 did not go as well for Sainz due to his inconsistent performances. The Spanish driver faced a major setback when his SF-23 collided with a manhole cover on the streets of Las Vegas, which were transformed into a race track. While the entire F1 community was celebrating the arrival of the pinnacle of motorsports on the famous Vegas Strip, Sainz’s car suffered significant floor damage due to the negligence of the FIA.
Despite the incident being entirely beyond his control, Sainz’s car had to undergo extensive repairs and replacements just before the race. According to Ferrari’s Chief, the repairs cost them over $2,000,000, and they have yet to receive compensation for it.
Now that Sainz has lost his Ferrari seat starting from 2025, the Spaniard will soon be searching for a new team. Despite his short time with the Maranello outfit, Sainz delivered some impressive performances that were overshadowed by inconsistent results. At the Las Vegas GP, due to the need for a complete replacement of his car’s floor, Sainz received a 10-place grid penalty as major car parts cannot be changed during the race weekend.
As a result, despite qualifying in second place, Carlos was forced to start from the back of the grid at the inaugural Grand Prix on the Vegas Strip. He later expressed his thoughts on the incident.
Sainz’s contract with the Scuderia will expire in 2024, and from the following season, he will be replaced by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari will bring a wealth of experience that the relatively younger Sainz may have lacked. It remains to be seen which team Sainz will join now that he is in search of a new squad.
According to the Source firstsportz.com