Sainz states Piastri ‘was too optimistic’ after Belgian GP opening lap collision
30th July 2023Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has said McLaren’s Oscar Piastri ‘was too optimistic’ after their first-lap collision which caused both drivers to retire from the Belgian Grand Prix.
Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Sainz started the race in fourth after he was promoted from fifth when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen served his five-place grid penalty for an additional gearbox.
When the lights went out the Spaniard put Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton under pressure into the first corner. However, as Sainz attempted the switch back through La Source, he accidentally pinched McLaren’s rookie, Piastri, into the inside barrier.
The contact significantly damaged the sidepod and floor of his SF-23 and, ultimately, comprised his pace throughout the first half of the race.
Sainz survived 25 laps after the contact before he was recalled to the pit lane to retire from the race.
After his retirement, Sainz discussed the incident on his own website, he said:
“Not the way I wanted to finish the first part of the season. Hamilton stayed behind Perez and I attacked him on the inside.
“Then came the contact with Oscar and that was it, a racing incident, but in my opinion, Oscar was way too optimistic as he was never side by side with me and making that move from behind has never really worked here in Spa. I’m disappointed, but it’s also part of racing.
“On a positive note, it looked like the pace was good today so congrats to the team and Charles on an encouraging result. We need to keep pushing hard to make sure we come back strong after the break and have a good second half of the season”.
It was reported that Sainz was hoping for a red flag in the first half of the race which would have allowed his team to repair the wounded SF-23. However, that never came to fruition and the Spaniard was forced to retire from the race.
F1 will now head into its annual factory summer shutdown from now to the Dutch Grand Prix on August 25 to August 27, 2023.
That’s all for the article: Sainz states Piastri ‘was too optimistic’ after Belgian GP opening lap collision!
Read more Formula 1 here:
- F1 Belgian GP: LIVE
- Verstappen regains lead from Piastri to secure Belgian GP Sprint Race
- F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen takes fastest lap over Piastri by 0.011s
- Alpine F1 Team and Otmar Szafnauer part by ‘mutual agreement’ after Belgian GP
- F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen secures pole in mixed conditions
- F1 Belgian GP: Sainz fastest in rain-affected sole practice
Give us a follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with the latest news from the world of Motorsport! You can also support us on Patreon or on our website!
Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
