How Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz explains his accident in Formula 1 Friday practice in Abu Dhabi and what the team expects in the duel for P2 against Mercedes
A “pretty big crash” ended Formula 1 Friday in Abu Dhabi for Carlos Sainz. But the Ferrari driver was lucky in misfortune: his wild departure ended without injury. He feels “fine”, says Sainz after the accident in the second free practice session.
“Of course I’m in a bit of pain, but that’s nothing to worry about. Because thanks to the safe cars, you get away unscathed even in such big accidents,” he explains.
But what exactly happened? Sainz had just started a new lap in the Ferrari SF-23 when he lost control of his race car exiting turn 2, spun off the track and crashed hard into the outer barrier. The left side of his car was badly damaged.
Sainz blames the crash on the Yas Marina Circuit and says: “For some reason, the track is different from previous years. There are two bumps: one at the exit of turn 2 and one at the entrance to turn 3. The current cars are pretty much thrown off track there. “
Scary moment in the very first practice session
He was “almost caught out” in the first practice session, admits Sainz. “Then I changed the set-up and adjusted my line to get out of the way. But it surprisingly happened again.”
“It must have been the angle or the way I hit the bump. From then on, I was just a passenger,” says Sainz. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t control the car. It broke away from me. And then there’s nothing you can do except wish you’d done something differently.”
“And we already know this from the current cars: one bump is enough to send you into a spin and lead to a pretty violent accident. That’s not ideal, but that’s the way it is. “
Was the Ferrari simply set too low?
Former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz identified another possible cause for the crash on ORF: Ferrari could have set up Sainz’s car too low, which is why the bump in turn 2 became a problem because the car touched down there.
Sainz, for his part, does not want to “go into detail” about technical issues and the “changes” made to his car before the second free practice session. However, he had adjusted “several things”, but ultimately without success
At least: Sainz is not expecting a penalty, although Ferrari may have to install other components on his SF-23 to replace damaged parts. But Sainz is calm: “Everything should be fine for the rest of the weekend. “
What speaks for Ferrari in Abu Dhabi
Sainz’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc can also claim the latter after setting the fastest time in the second free practice session with 1:24.809 minutes ahead of Lando Norris in the McLaren and Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. His car felt “really good”, says Leclerc, “that’s always a good sign.”
In general, the starting position in Abu Dhabi favors Ferrari because the practice time was shortened by various incidents. “We are practically going into the rest of the weekend with the same amount of information as under the sprint format. And that’s where we are normally strong,” says Leclerc. “Hopefully we can take advantage of that and beat Mercedes. “
Beating Mercedes is a priority for Leclerc
Because Mercedes is Ferrari’s big opponent this weekend: After all, it has not yet been decided which team will take P2 in the 2023 Formula 1 constructors’ championship.
Leclerc would find it “nice” for Ferrari to end the “difficult” season with a sense of achievement. “All employees deserve that. That’s why we’re doing everything we can,” he says.
“I no longer have high hopes of finishing fourth in the drivers’ championship. If it happens, then fine, but if not, then I don’t care. It means nothing to me. “
