Sainz: In Monaco everything depended not on the car, but on the strategy

Carlos Sainz could have won in Monaco, but an unfortunate pit stop timing left the Ferrari driver behind Sergio Perez. At the FIA ​​press conference, Carlos explained exactly how the race was lost.

Q: Carlos, for the second year in a row you are second in Monaco but it seems you are upset. Do you regret the timing of the pit stop, or are you just unlucky that you ended up behind the lap after the pit stop and lost time on it?
Carlos Sainz: No, I think we as a team … In the course of the race we had to make some difficult decisions – there were constant talks on the radio about what we could do. I knew I would be in the lead at some point if I stayed on the wet tires but once I was in the lead I realized the track condition is very close to transitioning to slicks.

The fact is that the asphalt dried up very quickly and at that point we decided to switch to slicks. The hard compound provided a lot of traction right away, but I was unlucky enough to run into a Williams driver who was at the back of the circle, who drove very slowly through the first and second sectors, and only then let me pass. I lost a second or two because of this, but this time it was enough for Sergio Perez to “cut” me.

Q: In the last laps did you make any attempts to overtake Sergio?
Carlos Sainz: The attack attempt looked tempting, especially in the chicane, but unfortunately inside the track was quite wet. If I tried to attack inside and slow down later, this maneuver could lead to a blockage. Most likely I would have eliminated Sergio and retired.

If you look at things realistically, you have to admit that modern cars are very wide for such a narrow track, and it was almost impossible to overtake on drying asphalt. I did everything in my power, and if I had acted more decisively, I would have just knocked him out of the race and pulled myself out. I think I’ve tried everything.

Q: Whose car is faster in these conditions: Ferrari or Red Bull?
Carlos SainzA: I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. In Monaco everything was not determined by a fast car, but by the right time for pit stops, the right strategy. Red Bull switched to medium tires, we decided to stick to wet tires. By the time of my pit stop I was in the lead so we can say we made the right decision, but then I was behind the circular and it cost me a lot.

Q: At what point did you miss the win? If the team had made a different decision, would victory have been possible?
Carlos Sainz: At what point exactly? We missed the win when Sergio put in a very good lap before the pit stop – you have to give credit to him and his team. I lost everything on the pit exit loop when I got stuck behind the loop.

If I had jumped a lap later or a lap earlier my position on the track might have been different, I wouldn’t have been behind the lap and kept the lead. However, it is very difficult to calculate how long a pit stop will take on a wet track, as the entrance and exit of the pit lane is quite wet.

I think I was unlucky because after stopping in the pits I returned to the track behind the Williams driver, who was having problems warming up the tyres. This is where my race ended.