Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz was one of the “victims” of the chaos surrounding track limits penalties that partly revolutionized the final standings of the 2023 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
The Spanish Ferrari driver, who crossed the finish line in fourth position, had already received a penalty during the race for exceeding track limits four times. However, upon examining the documents published by the race stewards, an interesting detail can be noted.
Five out of six track limits violations contested against Carlos Sainz occurred between 15:10 and 15:25. During those laps, Carlos Sainz was behind Charles Leclerc and was pushing to try and obtain clearance from the Maranello team to overtake his teammate. “I don’t need to tell you what my pace is, it’s evident,” the number 55 repeatedly said over the radio, emphasizing that he had a superior pace compared to that of the Monegasque driver.
The team order never came, and due to a mistimed pit stop decision, a gap opened up between the two Ferrari drivers, definitively closing the chapter on team order in the Austrian Grand Prix.
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At the end of the race, Frederic Vasseur himself reiterated Ferrari’s plans. “It was clear what our strategy was even before the race. I understand Carlos’s desire, but we had already discussed it. He probably wanted to put pressure on us with those team radio messages.” – the French manager explained.
Carlos Sainz himself later declared that he was not satisfied with the result considering the feeling he had with the SF-23 car at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
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