Sainz: Oil on the grid is unacceptable

Many noticed before the start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix that some of the less-than-new cars that Formula 1 drivers drove around the track during the Drivers Parade were leaking some oil onto the asphalt of the start-finish line.

An entire team of marshals quickly tried to remove the oil stains, but Carlos Sainz believes it was the consequences of this incident that led to numerous accidents in the first corner.

The Spanish Ferrari driver showed the 2nd fastest time in qualifying, but lost 10 starting positions and received a penalty. Therefore, he started the race from the 6th row and unwittingly became one of the participants in the incidents in the 1st corner.

Naturally, Carlos felt the fine was unfair, as it was not his fault that Ferrari No. 55 suffered such serious damage at the start of the first practice session, after suffering a faulty part of the track drainage system, that the team actually had to fit a new car for the Spaniard. The battery was also replaced – this is the third energy storage device, despite the fact that each rider receives two such elements for the season. Each subsequent replacement inevitably entails a fine, and the regulations do not provide for any exceptions.

Overall, Sainz’s mood was spoiled on the first day of the weekend, and the events at the start of the race clearly did not help to improve it.

No matter how hard the circuit’s technical services tried to remove the consequences of an oil leak on the left side of the start-finish straight, they were unable to completely clean the asphalt.

“I saw on the track a lot of oil leaking from the cars used during the pilots’ parade, and this is another problem that the FIA ​​should pay attention to,” said Carlos after the Grand Prix, in which he took part in 6th place . – I don’t think this is fair. All oil was on the internal path.

Not only was the asphalt there already dirty, but we also parked cars there, which leaked oil onto the track an hour before the start. I emphasize that this is unacceptable. This is probably the reason why there were many accidents in the first corner.”

Sainz started on the left side of the field and was one of the many drivers who could not escape these problems. His Ferrari was carried to the outside of the track, where it hit Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, causing Fernando Alonso to spin. In turn, Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo crashed into Aston Martin, which ‘overtook’ Sergio Perez from behind, breaking the diffuser of the Finn’s car and damaging his own front wing.

“I just braked, but there was a lot of dust on the tires from the oil removal products and there was simply no grip,” Carlos continued. – Fernando also spun – you understand, even drivers with his experience failed to get a grip on the track. In general, everyone turned out to be the victim of an unfortunate coincidence, but at the same time you never expect everything to be so bad.

I just hit the brakes without even pressing the pedal, but the tires locked up. I can’t even say I braked too late – I was around 100 meters, but at the same time I approached the corner 100 km/h slower than during the qualifying lap.

I agree that cold tires probably played a role too. The incident on the first lap was absolutely shocking and I think everyone there had problems.”

Sainz fell to 18th position but managed to fight back to finish seventh, moving up one place in the final race report thanks to a penalty awarded by George Russell.

“The race did not promise to be easy; it wasn’t easy to win back. But since we managed to break through the entire peloton from almost the last positions and take sixth place, the day can be considered quite good,” concludes Carlos.

Before the season finale, he shares 4th place in the individual rankings with Fernando Alonso, both have 200 points, but Sainz is formally ahead, as he has achieved a victory in Singapore.