“We survive in the first few meters and then attack in the first corners.” – in this way Carlos Sainz summarized an aspect regarding which both the Spaniard and his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc are well aware. At the moment, in fact, the Ferrari F1-75 cars are not very brilliant in acceleration after the clutch detachment at the moment of the start of a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Even in Austria this detail initially slowed down Charles Leclerc’s attack on Max Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz also had to pay more attention to the ones behind him, defending against George Russell’s attack by going wide on the escape route. At the Silverstone circuit, then, on the occasion of the first start then neutralized by the red flag, Lewis Hamilton was even third behind Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, while at the second race start, Charles Leclerc actually attacked in the first corners as Carlos Sainz said with a decisive overtaking move on Sergio Perez at The Loop, which cost the front wing for the Mexican driver and one less front wing element for the Monegasque’s F1-75 car.
“The starts are not going well enough, we have a small problem with the car, we know what it is, which limits us,” Carlos Sainz explained, as reported by today’s edition of the Spanish sports newspaper AS. At the beginning of the 2022 Formula One season, especially Charles Leclerc always easily defended the pole position secured in Qualifying, a trend however interrupted in Baku where Sergio Perez took the lead of the race in Turn-1 with Max Verstappen who in turn had started very well without having however enough space to capitalize on the excellent starting moment.
A problem for the two Ferrari cars, which therefore risks jeopardizing the solid performances in Qualifying for the F1-75, an almost unbeatable car in terms of one lap pace on Saturday in this first part of the 2022 Formula 1 championship. In France, the acceleration that separates the starting grid from the first corner is rather long and therefore a not brilliant start could cost Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz some positions. For the Spanish driver things will be even more difficult due to the fact that most likely he will have to take grid penalties for using a new power unit, as a result of the engine failure suffered at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
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Carlos Sainz will therefore be ready for a recovery race, with the goal of finishing the French Grand Prix at least in the top five, in case the Ferrari driver will indeed have to start from the back of the grid.
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