Sainz, frustrated: “I’ve tried everything”

Although many would already sign to achieve a second place, Carlos Sainz felt disappointed after finishing the Canadian GP. The Ferrari driver came very close to beating Max Verstappen, but the Dutchman’s impotent final pace was enough to deprive the Madrid native of his long-awaited first F1 victory.

«I have pushed to the limit, I have not left a millimeter with the wall and in the last braking I have pushed with everything, with the battery. I tried everything to pass Max, but today we lacked that little bit of extra pace », he said. «We lacked in the hairpin to pick up speed before the chicane. We were faster, we have been in the race, but we needed this little bit to overtake, “the Madrid native concluded in his analysis.

Sainz admitted that he feels a bit disappointed for not being able to win, although the balance is clearly positive due to the effort and attitude. “I am very happy with the pace of the race and that I was able to put pressure on Max throughout the race. I think we made the stop at the right time, we tried everything and we were very, very close to being able to win today,” said Sainz, who has 102 points overall.

Alonso attributes it to bad luck

Fernando Alonso was the only driver from above who worsened his grid position at the finish line (and was later penalized). From a second on the grid and serious contender for victory or at least a podium, to add two poor points. Far from it is the goal that had been raised.

Before knowing the punishment that sent him from seventh place at the finish line to ninth in the final classification, Alonso was disappointed by what had happened. “It was a pretty good race in terms of pace. We could have fought for the podium, seeing that Hamilton is on the podium and we were ahead of him in a more or less controlled way…”, he explained, before confessing that he had a breakdown that left him far from his goal.

“From lap 20 or so we had an engine problem: in the power system, it cut the KERS in the middle of the straights. More or less it was eight tenths or one second per lap that I was losing, and to be on the DRS train with Ocon or Leclerc », he recounted.

The worst explained is Alpine’s strategy. Alonso did not charge the inks against the team. “We weren’t lucky,” he said. «I passed through the finish line and the ‘virtual’ came out; Just when I was about to go into the pits, it was over. It lasted exactly those two minutes when I wasn’t in the pitlane, but well… luck wasn’t on our side today, as usual. Engine problem, back in my car… the truth is that it hurts », he pointed out at the end.