During the race, Carlos Sainz came close to colliding with Charles Leclerc on the third lap while trying to overtake the Monegasque driver. Leclerc seemed unhappy with Sainz’s maneuver, which could have taken both drivers out of the race.
This incident raised questions about the reason for Leclerc’s dissatisfaction. 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 of what had happened with Leclerc. He considered Leclerc’s complaints unfounded and out of context. However, Sainz acknowledged that he could not stay behind Leclerc and needed to move forward to win his home race.
During a post-race interview, team boss Fred Vasseur addressed the issue 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 were no significant damages to Leclerc’s car and that the complaints were just a way to deflect from the main problem. He also mentioned that data analysis revealed ten other occasions 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 did not capitalize on opportunities. Towards the end of the race, Leclerc was just one lap away from catching up to Russell. Despite starting in fifth and sixth places, both drivers finished in the same position. Vasseur acknowledged that the team needs to improve their performance in qualifying sessions to achieve better overall results.
In summary, Fredric Vasseur believed that Carlos Sainz’s overtaking did not damage Leclerc’s car and that it was solely Leclerc’s responsibility not to defend his position. Fans are eagerly awaiting a strong performance from Ferrari in the next race in Austria, as the team has not scored any points since Canada and only managed to secure 18 points in Barcelona.
