Carlos Sainz: Ferrari’s “strange plan” was to eliminate an F1 rival in the first round

Ferrari’s “strange plan” in qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix, according to Carlos Sainz, was to prevent a Formula One opponent from making Q2, preventing Daniel Ricciardo from progressing.

After taking his fourth power unit of the season, Sainz knew he’d have to start from the back of the grid in Istanbul.

In such circumstances, drivers frequently put in only a minimal effort in Q1, but Ferrari actively chose Sainz to prevent another vehicle from entering the top 15, preventing it from progressing to the next session.

By chance, the car on the bubble at the end of Q1 was Ricciardo’s McLaren team, which is racing Ferrari for third place in the constructors’ title.

After making it to Q2, Sainz was given a tow to help teammate Charles Leclerc in making it to Q3.

“Basically I was driving around trying not to set a competitive lap time, just to make sure the other car was making it to Q2,” Sainz said when asked about his qualifying strategy by Motorsport.com.

“And then once Charles was safe I tried to push one lap to try and bump out a car from Q2, and coincidentally that car was Daniel, our direct competitor in the championship.

“So the plan was executed perfectly, also with with a tow to Charles in Q2.

“It was exactly the plan that we had today. Actually it was a bit of a strange plan, but it worked perfectly for the team, and for me.

“We did what we had to do today, obviously still regretting a bit the fact that I’m not part of a normal day when the car is the most competitive it’s been in the last 10 races. It is what it is. We will try and make it through tomorrow.”

Starting from the back of the grid will be a struggle for Sainz, but he is unsure how easy it will be to overtake at the Istanbul Park circuit, given the team’s simulations are limited to last year’s rainy race.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I would much rather not have to do it and start in P3 like Charles is starting, because obviously starting directly in podium positions is much better than last.

“Also there’s not many other cars taking penalties, so I couldn’t benefit from that.

“It will all depend how easy it is to overtake tomorrow. If it is fairly easy I will give it my best shot. Then if it’s difficult to follow in Turn 8, in Turn 9, then it might be a frustrating afternoon.

“Our simulations don’t predict how easy it is to overtake. So it’s all by feeling with the car, and how much dirty air the car receives from the car in front. On pure pace we’re obviously good enough for a top five, and starting last that’s a lot of positions to recover.”

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