McLaren believe that there were numerous occasions when Carlos Sainz got fortunate throughout Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix to take an eventual podium finish.
Sainz had attempted to steal second from Oscar Piastri on the inside at Turn 1 at the start, but a touch on the exit saw the Ferrari driver pick up a front-left puncture.
The Spaniard was unable to steer his Ferrari SF-24 through Casino Square and seemed to be out the running until a collision at the back triggered a red flag stoppage.
Lando Norris had capitalised on Sainz’s woe to move into third behind team-mate Oscar Piastri, but Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu had not passed the opening timing sector.
Therefore, the FIA reasoned that the order had to be taken from the second Safety Car line, meaning Sainz was reinstated to his starting berth for the standing restart.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella accepts that the FIA made the correct call in line with the regulations, but he has also suggested that a rule change should be considered.
“It is in agreement with the precedents whereby you use the Safety Car Line Two when sector time is not available,” Stella said.
“I don’t think using the mini sectors is a good way of doing that.
“Obviously, the whole point that’s saved Carlos today was that Zhou had not crossed the sector time at the time the race was suspended.”
Norris was more aggrieved to lose out on a podium result, though, labelling it “unfair” that Sainz was able to be absolved from what had transpired on the opening lap.
“I don’t think it’s the most fair thing,” Norris said.
“But I’m sure there’s been moments in the past where maybe I’ve been fortunate from it and they could have they fixed the car a little bit or something like that.
“When you think of it in just a blunt way, it is frustrating and unfair, that because someone makes a mistake and because of a certain amount of cars or whatever.
“Whatever the rule is, didn’t cross the line before the red flag and blah, blah, that he gets to undo that mistake and gets a free pit stop. It’s unfair.”
Meanwhile, Stella contended that Sainz could have been punished over the light tap at Sainte Devote which handed Piastri damage worth up to 0.25 seconds per lap.
“He was also applied a lenient approach from the stewards because the collision in corner one obviously created significant damage to Oscar’s car,” he explained.
The Italian was also perplexed as to how Sainz avoided receiving a grid drop when he impeded Alex Albon’s Williams at the Swimming Pool chicane during qualifying.
Stella pointed out how Piastri was penalised at Imola last weekend as he impeded Kevin Magnussen’s Haas, dropping the Australian from second place back to fifth.
“I think these are summed up with yesterday’s impeding,” Stella continued.
“Like I say, lucky Carlos, this gained him a podium, we are happy for him.
“But, I think especially with yesterday’s impeding, we are still a little puzzled as to what the difference [was] between yesterday and Imola.”
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