Carlos Sainz Jr: VSC saved my French Grand Prix points finish
Carlos Sainz Jr believes the virtual safety car spell at the end of the French Grand Prix rescued his points finish after his Renault Formula 1 car's MGU-K failed
The Spaniard was on course to finish sixth at Paul Ricard, having run as high as third early on by avoiding the incidents in the opening few corners.
But he fell to eighth after complaining of "no power" on the radio, and only avoided slipping further back because the next few laps were completed under virtual safety car conditions following Lance Stroll's tyre blowout at Signes.
While the race briefly went back to green flag conditions just before the finish, Sainz was able to hang on without losing more ground, despite missing what he believes was 160 horsepower.
When asked about the virtual safety car, Sainz told TV crews: "I owe that... it saved us the points finish.
"It's very difficult to digest, this P8. It's a good result, but when you are the whole race running P6, easily, comfortably, then suddenly five laps to the end this happens, I feel bad for the team, and for myself.
"It's a shame, because it was the perfect weekend. A sixth place after a perfect quali, a perfect start, very good pace all race.
"Then finding yourself with this problem, knowing how hard it is to score points, is a shame.
"It's a shame for the team as well because we deserved this sixth place at home."
Sainz's MGU-K was on its final race, so was due to be replaced by Renault for the next grand prix in Austria anyway.
The Red Bull loanee enjoyed his brief spell among the leaders, even if it was inevitable he would fall back.
"It happened last time in Barcelona 2016 that I got a really good start and got into the podium places," he said.
"It was a while since I was last in those places. I enjoyed it. It didn't last very long, but I tried my best."
Wing damage caused Daniel Ricciardo's French Grand Prix slump
Max Verstappen hits out at F1 media after Sebastian Vettel's crash
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures