Binotto says Sainz can't handle 2022 Ferrari — what you missed at the Spanish GP

Mattia Binotto has said that Carlos Sainz is struggling to get his head around the Ferrari F1-75's idiosyncrasies, Lance Stroll knocked off course and history for Jamie Chadwick

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Binotto has diagnosed Sainz's F1-75 issues so far

Ferrari

A 2022 Spanish Grand Prix which was widely expected to be unexciting affair actually produced an uncharacteristic Catalunyan rollercoaster.

The drama of both Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen spinning off mid-race was only heightened by comfortable race leader Charles Leclerc retiring with an engine issue.

It’s possible this came as a result of the extreme heat in Barcelona, which also made tyre degradation the main factor in deciding competitors’ race fates.

With such varying fortunes, you could have been forgiven for missing out on one or two of the storylines this past weekend.

 

Binotto explains why Sainz can’t get to grips Ferrari F1-75

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Sainz not at home in F1-75

Ferrari

Mattia Binotto offered insight on the travails of Carlos Sainz and his Ferrari F1-75 with a pithy statement. Whilst Charles Leclerc has been able to extract maximum performance, Sainz hasn’t, crashing out in the race in Australia and qualifying in Imola, as well as spinning off in Barcelona.

The Ferrari team boss has said the difference in performances may be down to how their respective set-up preferences suit the car.

“Charles is really driving very well and doing a fantastic season so far,” he told Sky Sports. “He’s capable of running a very aggressive balance which maybe Carlos, at the moment, cannot. I think Carlos needs a bit more experience.”

Leclerc’s instinctive driving style appears to suit the F1-75 – Sainz’s considered approach of “studying the data”, as Binotto put it, currently isn’t producing the desired effect.

Sainz also backed up Binotto in his post-race interview.

“You can probably see from the onboards and from the mistakes that I’m struggling quite a bit to drive this car and to understand how to extract the maximum out of it,” he said.

“It has given me a whole new challenge in my Formula 1 career. The car is a bit too pointy for my liking but that’s it, it is the way it goes.”

 

What could have been for Bottas and Schumacher

Mick Schumacher Haas 2022 Spanish GP

Schumacher before falling back through field

Haas

A big debate over the weekend was as whether the two-stop or three-stop strategy was the more favourable. Valtteri Bottas and Mick Schumacher were a couple of two-stop proponents who looked like they could have made it work, but then faded later on.

The vague picture on tyre degradation with a sweltering 50C track temperature meant choosing between track position and nursing your older tyres to the end, or making the extra stop and making up the lost ground with newer rubber.

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Bottas had the potential to finish fourth, but just fell short to Sainz and Lewis Hamilton with a few laps to go.

“I think at some points of the race the pace was really strong,” said Bottas. “I think we took a bit of a risk with the strategy. The last stint just became a bit too long. So, really struggled quite a bit towards the end, but we tried.”

It was a similar story for Schumacher. Up to ninth with twelve laps to go, he was swallowed up by the three-stoppers Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda, then the two-stopping Vettel, such was the Haas’s tyre wear.

“It’s quite unfortunate,” the young German commented. “Obviously, we knew it was going to be tight with the two-stop and it didn’t quite pay off to stay out.”

 

Albon had to stop four times

Alexander Albon (Williams-Mercedes) during practice for the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit Barcelona-Cayalunya. Photo: Grand Prix Photo

Albon in a world of pain in Spain

Grand Prix Photo

Recent Williams hero Alexander Albon might be ditching the red hair dye now after a disastrous race, his tyre degradation so bad that he had to make four pit stops in a desperate GP which ultimately yielded 18th and dead last.

The main issue causing his Williams to eat up its tyres was revealed by Albon post-race.

“I picked up damage to the floor after my first stop which heavily impacted the car’s performance,” he explained.  “There was a lot of tyre degradation and I really struggled with speed, especially into a couple of the corners. We didn’t really stand a chance today, but that’s racing sometimes.”

 

Stroll was on course for points until Gasly crash

10 GASLY Pierre (fra), Scuderia AlphaTauri AT03, 18 STROLL Lance (can), Aston Martin F1 Team AMR22, action crash, accident, during the Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Premio de Espana 2022, 6th round of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship, on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, from May 20 to 22, 2022 in Montmelo, Spain - Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI

The mom it all went wrong for Stroll

Florent Gooden / DPPI

Much was made of an updated Aston Martin AMR22 which has appears to have taken inspiration from Red Bull’s RB18 sidepods, but this was slightly quelled by both Silverstone cars being knocked out in Q1.

However, the race could have gone better. In fact, Lance Stroll could have been one of the three-stoppers to score points but for a mid-race clash with Pierre Gasly which necessitated a 30sec stop and dropped him out of the fight.

 

Chadwick now has five back-to-back W Series wins

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 21: Race winner Jamie Chadwick of Great Britain and Jenner Racing (55) celebrates on the podium during the W Series Round 2 race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 21, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Chadwick celebrates yet another win

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Jamie Chadwick channelled her inner Nigel Mansell and made W Series history this weekend by taking her fifth consecutive victory at Circuit de Catalunya.

After winning the last two rounds of her victorious 2021 campaign, the two-time W Series champion has now won all three os the ’22 season so far also, keeping a surging Abbi Pulling at bay by 0.5sec.

Despite the close nature of the race, it’s hard to look past Chadwick for the championship once more.