“Frustrated and disappointed,” Carlos Sainz hits out at rivals for pushing for his Las Vegas GP penalty after securing P2 in Qualifying

Carlos Sainz accused rival F1 teams of pushing his 10-place grid drop after a brief FP1 at the Las Vegas GP.

“Frustrated and disappointed,” Carlos Sainz hits out at rivals for pushing for his Las Vegas GP penalty after securing P2 in Qualifying

Carlos Sainz (via IMAGO)

Amidst a terrific weekend for the Scuderia Ferrari in the first-ever Las Vegas GP weekend, tragedy struck for the Tifosi in the final Practice session. Carlos Sainz ran over a water valve exposed by a torn manhole cover on the track surface in FP3. Damage to the engine meant Ferrari was forced to replace the energy store along with other components in the car.

Sainz, however, had filled the component quota prior to the incident. The usual penalty for replacing a component beyond the allotted quota is a 10-place penalty. Due to the unusual circumstances where the track was at fault and not a team or driver, the Spaniard pushed to evade the penalty. However, after consultation, the FIA did not allow this and handed him the penalty anyway. 

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The 2-time Grand Prix winner had some angry comments about the situation, accusing rival teams of pushing to make Sainz pay the penalty, regardless of the situation. Rumors have surfaced about Mercedes being the only team opposing the removal of the penalty. A very disappointed Sainz considered the penalty “the most unfair” one he has ever seen.

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For some reason, there will be rival teams pushing for me to get a penalty which surprises me in a way… I’m extremely disappointed and honestly very upset with the whole situation, with the sport. I’m very upset, is the right word, and in a bad mood because I just expected more.
Carlos Sainz said, as reported by planetf1.com

The Ferrari driver will be starting the Grand Prix in 12th, promoting Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton just ahead who also had unfortunate Qualifying experiences. Sainz is currently in the midst of the fight for P3 in the standings with Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris. An early elimination for Norris and the penalty for Sainz gives Alonso a huge advantage in the points battle.

Carlos Sainz’s penalty will hurt Ferrari in the Constructors’ fight against Mercedes

Ferrari and Mercedes are currently locking horns in the last two rounds of the Formula One calendar. The two giants of the sport are squabbling over P2 in the Constructors’ Standings behind the champion team Red Bull. Ferrari has had the upper hand in the past few races, especially with the car problems for Mercedes in Sao Paulo.

Frederick Vasseur
Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur at the Spanish GP (via Sky Sports F1)

Las Vegas is a different story for both teams. Lewis Hamilton failed to find any pace in his W14 and managed only 12th fastest. Carlos Sainz had an even more dismal few sessions, as he was demoted to 12th, pushing Hamilton up to 11th on the grid. Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur said this penalty heavily impacted Ferrari in their bid for the 2nd spot. 

We have to pay a mega price for this. And on the top, you have the penalty when you know that we are fighting for the championship, and 10 places is a huge hit.
Frederic Vasseur said, as reported by motorsport.com

Ferrari and Mercedes occupied the 2nd and 3rd spots in 2022 as well, with Ferrari emerging ahead then. Mercedes will be looking over their shoulders at the Scuderia in 2023 as well. The W14’s lack of performance in the most recent races could be the deciding factor in the battle between the two teams.

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