- Sainz voiced frustration over Verstappen’s “too aggressive” driving style.
- He said that if he hadn’t moved away, they would have collided.
- Sainz completed the race in ninth and the Dutchman in fifth.
Carlos Sainz expressed his frustration with Max Verstappen’s overly aggressive driving style at the Miami Grand Prix, not only on the radio but also in the post-race interview. He clearly didn’t like how Verstappen didn’t think about the consequences of making bold moves while racing in the midfield in a desperate attempt to gain the positions he lost at Turn 1.
Later, Sainz stressed how the Dutchman’s driving in the battle could have led to a potential collision and would have impacted both drivers’ races. Thankfully, it didn’t happen, as he mentioned that he moved away to avoid any crash.
Qualifying session proved to be good for Verstappen, who managed to put in an impressive lap that secured him front row alongside pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli. However, Turn 1 was chaotic, which saw the grid order jumbled in front. Meanwhile, Verstappen failed to hold the position when he locked up on the first turn, spun, and then dropped positions. He had to settle for 10th position, but he dropped even further after he pitted under the safety car.
Sainz slams Verstappen’s driving style during mid-field battle
In a conversation with AS, the Williams driver revealed that he didn’t like Verstappen’s approach in the midfield battle. He felt like he was driving to take the lead of the race in a duel, and that if he had not moved, they both would have crashed.
He elaborated, “Max knows, and I’ve done it in the past too, that we’re not in his race, and you’re going to move aside and let him pass. Because if I hadn’t moved aside, we would have collided.” He revealed that if they were fighting for the win, then they wouldn’t have made it out in “one piece” out of that corner. Explaining why Verstappen could have gone for such an aggressive move, he explained, “What he did was too aggressive, but he did it knowing I was going to move aside because it’s not our fight.”
Sainz also openly expressed his frustration over the radio after being passed by Verstappen. He stated, “He pushed me off. He thinks he can do whatever he wants because he’s racing in the midfield!”
How did the Miami Grand Prix end for Verstappen and Sainz?
Sainz started in 13th position, but he impressively put his car in 9th towards the end, securing some much-needed points for Williams, which have been struggling immensely under the new regs.
Meanwhile, Verstappen had a lot of ups and downs across the race; he managed to snatch a position from Charles Leclerc before crossing the finishing line. He completed in 5th position, which is decent enough for Red Bull Racing with the latest upgrades. Moreover, he was also handed a 5-second penalty for crossing the pitlane exit lane, but that didn’t impact his standings.
