Carlos Sainz is once again disappointed after a race without scoring any points. The Spaniard impressively qualified eighth for the Bahrain Grand Prix, but a fierce battle with Yuki Tsunoda ultimately cost him the race. Afterwards, he criticized the driving style of his Japanese competitor, who, according to Sainz, crossed the line in this instance. Tsunoda eventually finished ninth – his first points finish for Red Bull.
In the second phase of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz clashed with Yuki Tsunoda. After a period of rivalry, a collision occurred, causing significant damage to Sainz’s right-sidepod. With a gaping hole in his car body, he had to prematurely leave the battlefield. “He (Tsunoda) lost control of the car, and that cost me the race,” a disappointed Sainz summarized to the media.
Alpine Makes a Comeback
“At the same time, when I look at the onboard, it’s also a kind of racing incident,” he continued. “In the end, a lack of control on his part cost me the race. If I were Tsunoda, of course, I understand that you don’t want a penalty. That’s why it was a tricky issue, but this time it cost me dearly. I’m the one left holding the bag – it is what it is.” Sainz later received a ten-second penalty himself for allegedly pushing Kimi Antonelli off the track. The Williams driver didn’t care much; he already knew he would drop out.
“It was a good qualification, a good start,” Sainz summarized. “I’ve had a few good starts in a row with this car. The pace was also reasonable, although Alpine was too fast for us this weekend. If you take the top eight cars – namely McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes – plus two Alpines, then the first ten positions are taken. So, I’m fighting for my life on P11 and P10. We were just not fast enough. We are on the right track, so hopefully, things will come together more soon.”
