Forced to start from the final stretch of the grid, Carlos Sainz focused his efforts on helping Charles Leclerc take pole position ahead of Max Verstappen, emphasizing that the two have always worked as a team.
After the flames left by the power unit of his F1-75 unusable In Austria, Carlos Sainz arrived in France with the intention of regaining a confidence that, although he had practically recovered until then, had suffered a significant downturn after that mechanical failure.
In the three free practice sessions, the #55 did not get off at any time during the Top 3interspersed with teammate Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen and even leading Friday’s afternoon session, showing pace that allowed him to get the time at the drop of a hat.
However, every mechanical problem has its consequences: by completely replacing each and every one of the elements of his engine, Sainz faced qualifying aware that he would come out at the bottom of the grid no matter what he did, so he had to do teamwork.
Side by side
«Perhaps in terms of speed it has been my best weekend so far», Sainz confessed as soon as he got off his car. The Spanish Ferrari driver has already stepped on all the steps of the podium with the Scuderia, but despite having shown great potential, this weekend will be different for him.
«1st yesterday Friday, 1st in Q2 with a little margin… this weekend I think there was potential to have made the pole. But hey, it’s time to penalize, It was time to slipstream, which I think has helped… good for now, tomorrow it’s time to come back» Sainz added, aware of what his job was on Saturday.
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In fact, Leclerc’s first comment on the radio to the team was to thank Sainz for his help, a help that led him to beat Verstappen by up to 3 tenths. «We have worked well as a team, as we have been working all year. The same is not valued enough, that both Charles and I at all times this year have worked very well as a team, ”continued the Madrilenian.
How far can Sainz go in the race from 19th place having overtaken Magnussen, the other suspended? «We will have to see, the truth is that the hard wheel is a bit slow, so it will not be easy if we decide to start tomorrow with that wheel for the first few laps, but… then the average one seems to be doing well, the soft one is not bad… there is quite a choice of strategy. It’s a pit lane very long, we have to see what the best option is,” he concluded.