Carlos Sainz rued track position in the race preventing him from exploiting the “fastest” race pace that he showed through practice at Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Despite pressurising Oscar Piastri’s McLaren across various stages throughout the 78-lap encounter, Sainz was unable to create a passing opening on the Australian.
The Spaniard had attempted to sneak up Piastri’s inside into Turn 1 on the opening lap, but light contact between the pair meant Sainz incurred a suspected puncture.
But while a red flag saw Sainz reinstated to the third place that he maintained until the end, the Ferrari driver conceded he had to resist an overtaking move on Piastri.
“I got tempted a few times, but after lap one and obviously knowing that Monaco is a bit of all-or-nothing, you know that when you go for a move, the most likely outcome is contact between the two cars and a potential DNF for the two cars,” Sainz explained.
“And I felt like that was too much to lose for both Oscar and myself, you know, and my team. So unfortunately, Monaco is like that.
“I did have my opportunities and my temptations, both in the first 15 laps and in the last 10 laps.
“But never really a clear chance to see how we could get out of the corner untouched.”
Sainz had struggled to match race-winning team-mate Charles Leclerc on single-lap pace throughout practice and that allowed Piastri to divide the Ferraris on the grid.
However, Sainz came to lament starting positions dictating the result in Monaco as he disclosed that he posted the fastest race runs in the field earlier in the weekend.
“So, yeah, as I knew from Friday, my race pace was going to be good,” he continued. “I was the fastest on Friday practice in terms of race pace.
“Again, today, when I could show the pace, it was really, really good. But Monaco is track position and we lost it to Oscar yesterday.”
Sainz’s third podium in his last four outings in Monaco and his fourth rostrum appearance this season has seen him overtake Sergio Perez into fourth in the standings.
The ex-McLaren racer is 30 points behind Ferrari team-mate Leclerc, who lies in second position in the Drivers’ Championship amid his breakthrough win on home soil.
Meanwhile, Ferrari slashed the margin to Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship in Monte Carlo, with the Italian marque now 24 points adrift with 16 rounds to go.
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