F1 Azerbaijan GP: Carlos Sainz believes that Max Verstappen and George Russell’s ‘aggressive’ sprint clash was a ‘personal’ feud

Carlos Sainz had a front seat view for the George Russell and Max Verstappen clash in the Baku Sprint race.

F1 Azerbaijan GP: Carlos Sainz believes that Max Verstappen and George Russell’s ‘aggressive’ sprint clash was a ‘personal’ feud

Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and George Russell. Images via Twitter.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has weighed in on the first-lap incident between George Russell and Max Verstappen. The incident took place during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sprint race. Sainz questioned whether their battle was “personal.” The Spaniard, who finished fifth in the race, described the two drivers’ fight for third place as “very aggressive”. Verstappen and Russell made contact in turn 2.

Carlos Sainz spoke to the media post-race and shared his observations. He stated that the Verstappen-Russell duel was “very aggressive,” and at times, they appeared to be taking it personally. Sainz explained, “They were very aggressive, and it looked like they were taking it personally at some point because it was a bit all over the place for them.”

YouTube video

FS Video

Carlos Sainz was in the middle of the battle between George Russell and Max Verstappen. The three drivers had a run down to Turn 3. And Carlos was in a perfect position. He took advantage of the slipstream from the two ahead of him. However, he decided to back off and avoid any trouble. “I had to take avoiding action more than anything else. There’s no space. I nearly caught them both,” said Sainz.

While George Russell finished the race in fourth place, Max Verstappen managed to get back in front and finish third after a safety car. Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, finished fifth. But his focus was on gaining more mileage and building his confidence up in the car because of the limited practice running.

Discover: “They have more ambition,” Toto Wolff defines what is different about Lewis Hamilton and other F1 racers

Carlos Sainz prioritised establishing his rhythm in the race

Max Verstappen, George Russell and Carlos Sainz at the back
Max Verstappen, George Russell and Carlos Sainz at the back. Image via Twitter.

Following the Sprint, Max Verstappen and George Russell got into a heated argument. The former even cursed the Mercedes driver on live television. Verstappen’s frustrations were also evident on the race radio. His race engineer stated, “Lovely job Max, without contact as well, nicely done.” Verstappen responded, “Yeah, I know how to do that,” punctuated by yet another expletive.

“[I was] trying to stay out of trouble, try to do the mileage that I have to do to try and keep building that confidence up, and try and find out why I’m struggling,” said Sainz. The Ferrari driver had a difficult weekend in Baku. He struggled with his car and found it challenging to keep up with the pace of top runners. Meanwhile, his teammate was beefing at the front.

Max Verstappen’s damaged car made it difficult for him to pass Charles Leclerc. On the other hand, his teammate Sergio Perez won the sprint. Verstappen finished P3 with 6 points. Sainz’s perspective on the battle may be influenced by the ill relationship between Mercedes and Verstappen, which developed during the 2021 season. It remains to be seen what will be the outcome of the race on Sunday.

In case you missed it: