Carlos Sainz’s British Grand Prix turned into a nightmare as he likened his P12 finish to a feeling of retirement after a collision with his former Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc. Sainz was battling for a strong seventh place when Leclerc’s mistake led to contact between the two drivers, causing damage to Sainz’s car and forcing him to plummet down the order.
The Spaniard expressed his frustration, stating, “It was going well… I feel like the whole year so far we were doing everything right. The strategy goals, good driving. P7, P8 at the time.” Sainz emphasized the unfortunate turn of events, feeling like he had effectively retired from the race due to the incident.
Despite the challenging season for Williams in scoring points, Sainz saw no silver lining in his P12 finish at Silverstone. He lamented the lack of control over external factors affecting his races, expressing his disappointment at the recurring misfortunes. Sainz even welcomed the upcoming break in the F1 calendar, hoping for a change in luck to salvage the season.
The collision between Sainz and Leclerc was not captured in the broadcast, leaving Sainz surprised by the omission in replays. The damage to Sainz’s car from the incident further compounded his struggles in recent races, with just one point scored in the last four Grand Prix events.
As Sainz continues to battle setbacks and strokes of bad luck, the upcoming races will be crucial for him to turn the tide and regain momentum in the fiercely competitive world of Formula 1.