This weekend, the Red Bull Ring will host the second Grand Prix in the 2022 season. It will be held under sprint format. Qualifying on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the races. The normal race on Sunday is 71 laps long. This weekend will be a different one to possibly change the status quo of Formula 1. A small earthquake occurred after Carlos Sainz’s win at Silverstone just a few days back.
Everything seemed more or less settled. Max Verstappen was the favorite, Sergio Perez was his squire, and Charles Leclerc was the ‘yes but not’ candidate. This is despite the ongoing and bizarre failures at Ferrari. Sainz was not included in this list. He was the only Ferrari / Red Bull driver without a pole position or win, two ballasts that he has beaten off.
The Spanish driver shouted “stop inventing” (stop creating), and he decided to rebel against his team in pursuit for a greater good: a win. His, and Ferrari’s, was his primary objective. This, along with an improvable strategy surrounding Charles Leclerc has put Sainz on a clear climb – the Monegasque has chained many races after the Spanish and the last one to finish ahead was the Miami GP. May GP. It has also opened up a reasonable doubt – can he take over the reins of the Scuderia and become its first team?
This is not what Sainz wants to do. He knows he has a long season ahead and must keep going under the unwritten rule that ‘you race for Ferrari, you win Ferrari’. The man from Madrid attempted to resolve the controversy at the press conference before the GP from Austria. “Ferrari won, and I won, so it was almost always a right decision. Charles was in a difficult situation but he gave Ferrari the opportunity to win the race. This is the main goal. He recalled that he had new wheels and it was easy for him to pass Charles. The team also understood my responses and arguments.
Complex days at the Scuderia, and in Ferrari’s environment, have resulted. But not because of the result, or the already classic reinvented “stop Inventing” that Sainz broadcast on the radio. They blame a lack conviction in Ferrari’s ideas. The ’tifosi” fans are hurting a lot after losing what appeared to be a double at Silverstone.
Sainz said that the meeting following the race in which engineers and drivers exchanged information and analyzed what had happened was not overly stressful. “The meeting was as normal as it should have been. Both after a normal race as well as a less normal one. Ferrari is known for its team spirit, respect among colleagues, and ability to resolve all issues.
It seems that this will not be Sainz’s last win, at least according to other drivers. This could be his first victory if he is persistent and consistent in his decisions. Fernando Alonso, whose first race in a Ferrari Scuderia in 2010 was in Bahrain, stated that it is important to win the first race. To be honest, I don’t believe it will change much for him or the team. It was only a matter-of-time, since you have one the best cars. Only Carlos, Perez, Leclerc, and Verstappen can win a race now. He said that he was very happy and confident that it wouldn’t be the last race this year.
It was a great joy for Carlos, Carlos father, and me because we shared half of our lives in F1 as well as outside training in other specialized races like the Dakar. Carlos Sr. and myself have been pioneers in our respective specialties, with victories for Spain. It is a pride to see Carlos win in Formula 1, he said. Sainz’s advice from Alonso is clear. Once he crosses the Rubicon of his first win in Formula 1, he can continue to take the same steps, without falling. All the rest will follow.
Alonso also criticized the stewards and recalled the complaints he had made about Leclerc’s movements during the last exciting laps of his previous race. “At the start of the season, it was forbidden to go off the track in any case. There was a black-and-white line. Silverstone allowed you to go through the loophole with full throttle and then fight in the next corner. He requested clarification. Each one with his war.
