Carlos Sainz has lashed out at Nico Hulkenberg after contact between the two led to the Williams driver retiring from the 2026 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
Sainz came into the race weekend at Monaco with a 100% scoring streak intact on the streets of the Principality.
But all that came to naught during the red-flag restart. The Spaniard’s FW48 was collected by Hulkenberg’s Audi after the Loews Hairpin.
The Williams driver tried to limp back into the race but was tagged once again by Franco Colapinto’s Alpine coming out of Portier, finally parking his car up.
After the race, Sainz, who was running in 10th, was visibly frustrated as he slammed the incident as “stupid”.
“Very well managed race up until that restart,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think we did a very good, solid pace, very good race in general. Was en route to score another couple of points this weekend.
“But unfortunately, people at the restart just decided to take stupid risks and my race was over.”
Nico Hulkenberg defends his incident with Carlos Sainz at F1 Monaco GP
The German racing driver was handed a post-race 10-second time penalty for his incident with Sainz.
That said, Hulkenberg was far from convinced that it was his fault. In fact, he highlighted how he was caught up in a melee after avoiding Esteban Ocon’s swerving VF-26.
“Esteban was swerving around a bit. I had to avoid a crash with him, therefore ended up on the very inside, all the way up on Lowe’s corner on the kerb, full steering lock,” Hulkenberg told media including Motorsport Week.
“It’s then somehow inevitable. I came around and obviously made contact.
“It was pretty heated and it was pretty difficult there to not hit something or someone. I need to re-watch TV, but of course I’m not happy, I don’t agree with it.”
Sainz laments “frustrating” DNF at Monaco
The 31-year-old was adamant that throughout the entire ordeal, he was the “victim” of some ambitious overtaking by Hulkenberg.
Sainz pointed out how a move such as the Audi driver’s would never have stuck.
“In a corner like Turn 6, that we’ve raced around here hundreds of times, and we know it always bunches up and people going for a dream move get it wrong sometimes,” Sainz added.
“I was the victim of it. Very frustrating because to throw all the effort of the team and two points in the bin is very frustrating.”
But his Monaco disappointment aside, Sainz will be looking forward to next weekend as he prepares to race on home soil at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
READ MORE – Carlos Sainz issues defiant Williams F1 message despite 2026 ‘test of faith’
Discussion about this post