The heavy blow was that of the DNF of Charles Leclerc, who just like in Barcelona had to retire when he was in the lead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. To complete a truly forgettable Sunday for Ferrari, however, there was also the DNF of Carlos Sainz.
Chronologically, the Spanish driver’s race in Baku ended earlier than that of the Monegasque, after just 9 laps, but in this case the disappointment was somewhat mitigated by the fact that Carlos did not seem to be able to enter the fight for the victory when he suffered a hydraulic failure that generated a brake by wire problem.
In front of the Sky Sport F1 HD microphones, however, Carlos Sainz explained that in the first phase of the race he was managing the tyres in order to try to lengthen the first stint, so he did not yet have the opportunity to show his potential in the few laps he completed in fourth position, behind Max Verstappen.
“I was in full tire management. My strategy was to go a little longer to see if it could be an advantage in this heat, but when I started pushing I lost the hydraulics and my race ended on lap nine.” – Carlos Sainz said.
When asked if there were any signs of the reliability problems suffered by the F1-75 today, he continued: “We were calm, that’s why we were surprised by this situation. I don’t know what happened to Charles, but in my case it is the first time a hydraulic problem occurs”.
“I am convinced that the team will solve it and that we will learn from this. We are a united team and today it is normal that we are not happy, but in five days we will go to Canada to try to make up for it.” – the Spanish driver added.
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Reliability now risks being a wake-up call in Maranello, even if Carlos tried to urge everyone to remain calm, given that there are still 14 rounds to go until the end of the championship.
“It may be, but we need to see what the specific problems have been before overreacting. We need to stay calm and united. It’s sure it’s not a good day for all Ferrari fans, but the championship is still long and I am confident we can still win it. But we must remain positive and united.” – Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz concluded.
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