Controversy: The reason Ferrari stopped Sainz and not Leclerc

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc ended up hugging each other in the press corral after British F1 GP. But on the track, both want to win and sometimes that translates into tense moments like experienced yesterday on asphalt. For example, Charles was seen several times on the radio to get Carlos to allow him on the first stint.

stress timeline

On lap 16 they sent a clear message to Sainz: “We need to push you.” “Yes,” Sainz replied. And soon, they repeated the same thing twice in a row. “Don’t tell me again”, Carlos asked, compelled, trying to push with a car he wasn’t as comfortable as in Free Practice 2 despite trying to do so with the changes they made to his car afterwards. Free Practice 3. And a few laps later, on lap 20, Ferrari decided to stop Sainz early, leaving Leclerc in the lead but knowing it would leave Carlos on the older wheels by the end of the race.

Subsequently, Charles could not print a good rhythm when he was the one to push. Leclerc is clearly running faster because he benefits from Spanish DRS. But in clear air, Hamilton follows at a higher speed. Leclerc wasted no time in prolonging his stop. He entered then and, after a pit stop 4 tenths slower than Carlos did, he again came out behind the Spanish, with newer tires, and therefore, with options to print better. that speed. He was 2 “8 from Carlos and was going for him. Then he pressed the radio again.

“Are we fighting?” Leclerc asked on lap 29. “We’re right in Hamilton’s window,” he told her from the wall. Lewis hasn’t stopped yet and is struggling to carve out a profit that will allow him to stop and get ahead. It was key for Ferrari to make a decision not to lose the race to Lewis.

That’s where the pressure started again: “Freedom to Fight” they told Leclerc on the radio. While on the other hand, Sainz was told he had to make 1’32 “2 as target time.” Otherwise, we’ll change position “.

Leclerc was updated on the radio on the new order and was told that they had told Carlos that he had to make a 1’32 “2 and otherwise they would swap seats. But Charles wasn’t satisfied there. It didn’t seem to be enough for him .. “For me 1’32” 2 is not enough. In my opinion”. And finally, on lap 31, Carlos missed Leclerc.

‘Safety Car’ has arrived

After stopping Hamilton, Leclerc and Sainz briefly saved the top two positions, but Hamilton closed in at a great pace and moved within two seconds of Carlos. The Spanish career seems to be gone, and another message seems to confirm it. Carlos was told to save 2% on something (like gasoline), a clear sign that he needed to slow down for no apparent reason.

But the ‘Safety Car’ arrived that rescued him. Ferrari will have to decide whether to stop Leclerc or Sainz. They couldn’t stop the two because they would stick together and Carlos would lose position while waiting for the Monegasque tires to be replaced. By stopping Charles, they ensured Leclerc was in first position, but behind Sainz with more used wheels, with no possibility of defending himself against Hamilton, Pérez and company. While restraining Carlos, they made sure to first have Leclerc with old tires but not much compared to Carlos, and Sainz 2nd with new tires to defend against Hamilton and Pérez’s attacks.

That was then Carlos Sainz told to take away “10 vehicles” with Leclerc before the ‘Safety Car’ highlight. If he did that, Carlos knew Hamilton and Pérez could attack him and then they could easily catch up with Leclerc because their tires were old. Therefore, Carlos responded by radio to a stop inventing and clarified that such a plan was detrimental. He chose to shoot, overtake Leclerc and win. Meanwhile, Charles, who sold his tires, finished fourth.

This is Sainz’s decisive radio

“You’ve stopped inventing!”

“The instruction was to give Charles 10 car lengths as a rest,” Sainz said while the ‘Safety Car’ was on track.
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“But guys, I’m under pressure from Hamilton, please. Don’t say these things. Please, please stop making things up, stop making things up. I’m under pressure too,” Carlos said.

Binotto explained himself

By the end of the race Mattia Binotto and Charles Leclerc were seen having a somewhat tense conversation. “Obviously he is not happy. I told him to calm down. I will talk to him later ”, said Mattia about Monegasque. And at a press conference, the Ferrari boss explained why they decided to stop Carlos and not Leclerc. “Why did we think to stop Carlos? What happened was, our two cars were too close to stop them both, so we had to choose. We just have the same vehicle fighting for the top positions. Other teams only have one car, so decisions are easier ”, he commented, making sure Charles has newer tires and can defend himself better than Carlos.

“Leclerc’s tires are fresher than Carlos’. I was, I think, six or seven laps less than Carlos. And Carlos, by stopping in the second, would have protected us in the first corners. That’s the reason “he pointed out.

“I am very disappointed,” Leclerc said of the race. “I don’t know,” he said when asked about the team’s final choice in ‘DAZN F1’. “It’s something we always do as a team. Hide the lead car and bring the second car. And this time it didn’t fall on my side. ”

Mattia, proud of Carlos

Binotto was asked if he was angry at the fact Sainz refused to leave the 10 -vehicle distance from Leclerc. “Not only was it good, but I was very happy with Carlos’ behavior, because, for example, when we asked him to change positions as before, he did so immediately without discussion.said the engineer who came from Switzerland about the Spaniards.

“And when we told him to give Charles a break after the‘ Safety Car ’reboot, what he said was that he didn’t want to do it anymore, he didn’t want to do it, he told the guys behind me. will be very aggressive so I have to protect myself. and try to react in some way, so leave it to me, ‘”he added.

“So I think he understood correctly what the intent was. I think not only did he understand, but he was very good in the way he acts and I am very happy with this ”, he concluded in support of the Spaniard.

Mattia Binotto blames Esteban Ocon

More than self -criticism, Mattia Binotto made sure Charles Leclerc’s career was wasted because of Esteban Ocon. Binotto was angry at what the Frenchman from Alpine had donebecause he believed he could stop his car earlier instead of staying in a dangerous place like Copse, which prompted the ‘Safety Car’ to enter.

“Obviously it’s disappointing for Charles. The ‘Safety Car’ at the end where Ocon stopped in the middle of the track … I think he could have stopped somewhere else, because there’s time to stop somewhere else.”declared the Ferrari Team Principal.