Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz feels that the Maranello team’s best chance to defeat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is by working together with teammate Charles Leclerc. This of course would having both F1-75 cars cars at the front in order to be able to split the strategies and work together with the goal of stopping Max Verstappen’s dominance, as Ferrari hopes to be able to win at least a few races in the final part of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
The Dutchman has now won five races in a row, for a total of 11 victories in 2022 so far, which has basically secured him the Formula 1 world championship. Max Verstappen could even clinch his second F1 title in the next round of the season, the Singapore Grand Prix at the 5.063-kilometre Marina Bay Street Circuit.
In last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, the Spaniard had to start from the back-of-the-grid due to a power unit penalty. His Maranello teammate started from pole position, but after just a few laps he was followed by Max Verstappen, despite the fact that the Red Bull driver also had a five-place penalty of his own, but his race pace allowed him to easily overtake his opponents. Charles Leclerc was therefore left alone to attempt to defend the Dutchman’s challenge.
Ferrari soon realised that the F1-75 could not match Max Verstappen’s race pace and tried to take advantage of a virtual safety car moment on lap 12: the Maranello team called Charles Leclerc in to mount the medium tyres, while Red Bull informed their driver to do the opposite to his rival.
The 2021 F1 world champion was able to manage the tyres and still build a comfortable gap to Charles Leclerc, who would never challenge Max Verstappen in the Italian Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz feels the outcome of the race may have been different for Scuderia Ferrari if he had also been at the front to attempt to cover off Red Bull’s strategy. However, but Carlos Sainz confirmed that there would be no tactical gambling that may ruin one of the drivers’ race:
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“If I hadn’t have had a penalty, with both cars up there we could have put Max under a lot of pressure. Unfortunately, I had to take a penalty. We couldn’t divide strategies so we left Max to choose the contrary option to Charles. When we stop having penalties and go to favourable tracks like Singapore and I am up there, we will have two cars – not to gamble with – but to get around with Max and we will be in a better position. But at Monza, not having me up there with the pace I had was detrimental.” – Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz concluded.
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