Soon after the second free practice session at Yas Marina started, the session was quickly red-flagged. The cause of the first red flag displayed by the marshals was Carlos Sainz’s accident, for which Daniel Ricciardo points to Ferrari as the main culprit.
Turn 3 proves fatal for Carlos Sainz during the FP2 of the Abu Dhabi GP. The Spanish driver loses grip while navigating the turn, ending up in a spin and then hitting the wall.
Why the Ferrari ended up destroyed again after the Las Vegas incident is no secret, at least according to Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian was one of the first drivers to pass by the scene of the incident, and immediately, he harbored some suspicions.
“It seems to me that Ferrari lowered the car too much,” observed the former McLaren driver at the end of the session. The Perth-born driver compared the crash of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to that of his former teammate Lando last weekend. “Something similar happened to Norris in Las Vegas.”
Yet, the FP2 incident in Abu Dhabi is peculiar for Daniel Ricciardo: “These are fast corners, you can easily take them flat out. In turn 2 and turn 3, you can drive with your eyes closed.”
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
The AlphaTauri driver continued his explanation, expressing relief for his colleague’s optimal condition. “You have to set up these cars very low. By doing so, the ground effect is greater. However, handling can become complicated in some corners, especially in the fast ones. In those points, the car undergoes a greater aerodynamic load, and if it encounters a bump and bounces on the asphalt, what happened to Sainz can occur.”
Blaming Carlos Sainz? Daniel Ricciardo defends the Spaniard: “When these things happen, the driver becomes a mere passenger. There’s practically nothing you can do.”
Leave a Reply