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Carlos Sainz was seemingly denied a potential podium result last weekend at the 2022 F1 French Grand Prix after Ferrari asked the Spaniard to pit when he was making a crucial overtake on Red Bull's Sergio Perez. As a result, Sainz could only finish the race in fifth, after having started from the back of the grid.
In a post-race interaction, however, the Ferrari driver defended his team's strategy. He emphasized that they had all the necessary data to make the right call when it came to the tires and their potential to make it to the end of the race. Sainz said:
“I am sure when they show me the numbers and data from the tyres, they strongly believe I would not have made it to the end. We have to trust the numbers because this is what we base our strategies on. I am sure they did this with the best intentions, when you are P3 in a podium position after starting last, the last thing you want to do was box, get out of the way, and lose 32 seconds in the pit stop. Maybe that was why I was willing to take some more risk there. The team in the end played it safe with the tyres which I totally understand and we will have to analyse together.”
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Meanwhile, fans took to social media to share their reactions to the strategy implemented by the team.
Here are some reactions to Ferrari's call to pit Carlos Sainz
Decision to pit Carlos Sainz at 2022 F1 French GP "didn’t make sense" to Jolyon Palmer
Motorsports columnist Jolyon Palmer pretty much agrees with the fans on their doubts regarding Ferrari's decision to pit Carlos Sainz when he was on track to secure a podium at the 2022 F1 French GP.
In his article for F1.com, Palmer claimed that the team looked unsure towards the end of the lap just before Sainz made his way up to third. He emphasized that Ferrari's decision to bring the driver into the pits right after making his move on Sergio Perez was a bit odd, writing:
“Ferrari appeared unsure on what to do, before finally asking Sainz to pit as he was wheel-to-wheel with Perez in a long-awaited move – much to the driver’s frustration. Ferrari reversed the call once they saw what was happening and Sainz gained the place. At this stage of the race, there were 11 laps to go and Sainz clearly had more pace than Sergio Perez, who was struggling with front tire wear. The decision to box Carlos on the next lap didn’t make sense to me, given he had just gained the crucial track position.”
“It’s always difficult for a driver to override the orders from the team, because you know they have all the information available to them and for the strategists, this should be their bread and butter. They turn up with one job to do for the entire weekend, so they should know best. We are all human though, and occasional mistakes are inevitable.”
Carlos Sainz currently stands fourth in the drivers' standings with 144 points to his name.
