Carlos Sainz expressed his frustration after an unobserved collision with Charles Leclerc at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone cost him valuable points. The incident occurred late in the race while Sainz was pursuing Leclerc for eighth place, highlighting his ongoing challenges in the current Formula 1 season.
During the final laps at Silverstone’s Stowe corner, Leclerc lost control of his car while on slick tyres, dragging Sainz off track in the process. This forced Sainz to fall back to 12th place and sustain damage to his front wing and floor, which prevented him from regaining positions before the race concluded.
Sequence of Unfortunate Events Hampers Sainz’s Performance and Points Tally
This incident marked another disappointing weekend for Sainz, who had already been sidelined in the Austrian Grand Prix due to brake problems on the starting grid. These setbacks have now caused Sainz to go two races without scoring any points, intensifying his exasperation.
While he stopped short of blaming Leclerc directly, Sainz conveyed his growing irritation with losing points to circumstances beyond his control. He described how the team’s strategy and his driving had been solid throughout the race until this unforeseen event disrupted their chances.
“No offence to Charles, this always can happen to any driver, but I’m just upset with the fact that it happened to me today again when we were about to have a clean weekend and a clean race,”
Sainz said, reflecting on the collision with his former Ferrari teammate.
Transition to Williams and Current Season Challenges
Since joining Williams this season after Ferrari replaced him with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, Sainz has shown moments of strong pace but struggled with consistency. His current points total stands at 13, placing him 15th in the drivers’ championship rankings.
In comparison, teammate Alexander Albon has delivered more consistent results, amassing 46 points and securing eighth in the standings with a recent top-10 finish in Britain.
Sainz admitted that the difficulties with reliability and incidents have been difficult to handle emotionally and professionally.
“Honestly, this is so frustrating to have so many things out of your control in a row,”
he revealed.
Sainz Speaks on the Mental Toll of Unpredictable Race Incidents
The Spaniard opened up about the emotional strain that comes from preparing thoroughly for races and still facing setbacks that are not of his own making. He described the grind of simulations, marketing commitments, and race weekend preparations, only to have results undermined by factors he cannot influence.
“In the race you take your risks, you do everything right [with] strategy calls and then something like this out of your control happens and you’re out. Now we need to wait another two weeks to go racing, but it gets to a point where it’s just extremely frustrating and depressing,”
Sainz said, emphasizing the toll such repeated disappointment takes on a driver’s morale.
Looking Ahead to the Upcoming Race and the Road Forward
With another two weeks before the next Formula 1 race, Sainz and Williams will have time to regroup and focus on improving reliability and performance. The Spanish driver hopes to overcome the unlucky streak and deliver results that better reflect his potential and effort.
Given the competitive nature of the championship and the challenges Sainz has faced, breaking free from these setbacks will be essential for him to regain momentum and score consistently in the coming races.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why does Carlos Sainz have 55?
A. During his career, the number 55 became closely linked with the Spanish driver, symbolizing his identity both on and off the racetrack. Sainz picked this number due to a smart personal connection: Carlo5 5ainz.
