Max Verstappen says he tried not to make contact with Carlos Sainz Jnr when the pair collided at turn four during the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The impact left Sainz with a punctured tyre. The McLaren driver said his rival “hit me really hard” but Verstappen said he tried to avoid the collision.“He tried to go around the outside and brake late,” said Verstappen, “and then I guess he didn’t see me anymore on the side because with these cars you are just blinded what’s happening next to you.
“So I braked late and I saw he just turned into the corner so then I had to avoid the accident so I went onto the kerb and we still clipped with the wheels. It’s unfortunate but I guess he didn’t expect me to be there still.”
Sainz said he initially thought his car had been “destroyed” by the collision but he was able to continue after repairs.
“I attempted a move on Max Verstappen around the outside and got the worst part of it,” Sainz explained. “He just hit me really hard, it was a big hit, I thought the car was destroyed
“In the end I got a puncture, I could continue but I got definitely the worst part of it.”
The stewards cleared the pair over the collision, ruling “no driver who wholly or predominately to blame”. Sainz backed the stewards’ decision to handle racing incidents more leniently this year.
“Let them race, that’s the rule nowadays,” he said. “So I’m not here to complain about ‘Max should have got a penalty’. He shouldn’t.
“I just know that he went really hard into the corner, he braked really late for being on the inside, he got in the kerb, he hit me very hard.
“But I’m not going to complain, I’m going to try and keep it simple, I’m going to go and see the video. But that’s it. In the heat of the moment it’s better not to complain, better not to blame the stewards or anything like that.
“I just know that I had to try that move. I think it would have been really bad not to attempt that move around the outside on Max.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2019 F1 season
- Crying in the Melbourne car park at 2019 grand prix was my career low – Ocon
- McLaren Racing reports reduced £71 million loss in 2019
- Kvyat: Hockenheim podium last year was “my biggest achievement” so far
- How the FIA’s new encrypted fuel flow meter targets Ferrari’s suspected ‘aliasing’ trick
- “He smashed my office door”: 23 must-see moments from ‘Drive to Survive’ season two
georgeboole (@)
1st April 2019, 9:49
Good talking from both of them, stewards need to let them race even if that incolves some sort of contact and it is not deliberate.
Is there any onboard video of the crash?
Ruben (@)
1st April 2019, 9:53
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18OE3O_t7mM
Here you go.
Gino (@moustacho)
1st April 2019, 11:26
With F1 tv you see a wider angle. Sainz just stays on racing line and doesn’t give any space to Verstappen. He has to go over the kerbs to avoid a dive into the side of Sainz, but with this his wheels get off the circuit. So he bumps further outside, and hits Sainz.
They we’re both braking late, but Sainz just closed the door. Verstappen could have never avoided a collision. It’s too bad it led to a puncture, else it was just some nice racing. That was bad luck for Sainz I guess. Because the action of both drivers was alright and the cars should be able to take some kind of hit (look at Ricciardo and Hulkenberg).
Roel K. (@rj01)
1st April 2019, 11:29
It looked like there was hardly any contact. I think Sainz was very unlucky to get a puncture from it.
georgeboole (@)
1st April 2019, 12:40
@ruben thank you.
It was what I thought too. Close and fair racing. Just unlucky for Sainz to pick that puncture. Hope we see more of that
Pedro R (@pedro80r)
1st April 2019, 14:53
Thank you for the link! I think VER could’ve done more to avoid the incident! One just sees SAI front wing in front of VER until the collision – I assume VER just turned to the kerb to avoid a complete ramming of SAI. Still racing incident, but it’s a bit of an overstretch to put the responsability on entirely on SAI, he had the line and was in front!
Matn
1st April 2019, 15:48
Sainz made the initial move on Verstappen… leaving a bit of room would have been enough to stay safe…. then again if he would have left a bit of room the overtake would have failed. Sainz tried, but failed, Verstappen being not the easiest driver to overtake is the key part of racing.
krxx
1st April 2019, 17:32
That’s not exactly the key part in racing. And BOT seemed to overtake him quite easy, even with a lock up.
Azmo (@azmo)
1st April 2019, 9:57
One does not simply pass Max Verstappen around the outside.
Chaitanya
1st April 2019, 15:17
Yet Bottas did exactly that few laps later.
Steven Robertson (@emu55)
1st April 2019, 10:18
If there was a different Spaniard in that car, they could have finished 4th.
Von Smallhausen (@engelbertvonsmallhausen)
2nd April 2019, 9:21
Doubt it.
Jere (@jerejj)
1st April 2019, 10:19
That’s a good approach by both of them especially Sainz the more prominent victim of the incident.
Maximilian (@maximilian)
1st April 2019, 13:24
A victim of his own making, you mean?
DAllein (@)
1st April 2019, 10:29
I didn’t see him trying to avoid collision.
And considering the number of people this driver took out, I will still think that he didn’t try.
krxx
1st April 2019, 10:36
@dallein
True, he has taken a lot of drivers out and often got away with no or too lenient penalties, but this time he solely tried to make the corner. I can’t see, looking at the onboards, how this was VERs fault.
Oconomo
1st April 2019, 16:06
@krxx
By many you mean: 1?
The one he immediately apologized to after the race with a cold beer….
krxx
1st April 2019, 17:29
LOL. Which one do you mean? I can choose from literally double digits collisions.
Oconomo
1st April 2019, 19:22
Well, name all the drivers he has taken out.
Smurfler
1st April 2019, 11:16
Hilarious……the guy has literally caused 1 driver to retire in over 80 races…..afterwhich he immediately apologized.
OOliver
1st April 2019, 10:43
No being malicious, but since when has Verstappen ever tried to avoid hitting anyone.
AMG44 (@amg44)
1st April 2019, 13:03
Agree. He never backs down from making contact. He never try to avoid contact and thats not how you drive if your aim is World Championship.
Robbie (@robbie)
1st April 2019, 14:26
I think if you really wanted to you would see numerous times since Max’s rough start to last year, where he has taken a more conservative approach and picked better times for his battles that have resulted in more clean racing. But sure, when it does come down to actual hand to hand combat, Max continues to prove that he is absolutely relentless, like a WDC is, and so he has set himself up perfectly for the other drivers to be wary when they’re around him. If they think they’ve gotten by, they better not assume he isn’t actually right there still in their blind spot.
Bram (@br444m)
1st April 2019, 18:33
+1
It amazes me how drivers like Sainz still expect him to bail out because most of the other midfielders would; the ones who just fill up the grid and will never win a WC.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
1st April 2019, 10:47
Sainz could’ve left more room but I still think Max would pushed him hard to the outside even with more space. It was quite a divebomb
Joao (@johnmilk)
1st April 2019, 10:53
Sainz cannot make a move around the outside and then take the appex at the same time. Max had his front right above the inside kerb, don’t see what more he could’ve done to be honest. If you overtaking on the outside do it properly and leave room for the guy next to you.
Just like Stroll hit him very hard last year? Sainz has to improve this area of his race craft, sometimes he isn’t aware of where others are and ultimately he has been paying for it
Picasso 1.9D FTW (@picasso-19d-ftw)
1st April 2019, 12:01
@joao I agree. VER braked later and on the inside line still made the corner. SAI had got ahead but braked earlier so was level by the time they reached the corner, should have taken a slightly wider line. Racing incident, but one SAI could probably have avoided. If he hadn’t gone for the apex no doubt VER would still have been next to him coming out of the corner, I guess you don’t want that but it’s preferable to a coming-together. But it’s a game of chicken, isn’t it, and neither wants the other to know that they always crumble when side by side.
Anyway your point stands: you just have to look at what HAM managed at turn 4, not every time but he didn’t get clobbered either, because he went round the outside but didn’t try to take the apex too.
David BR (@david-br)
1st April 2019, 17:18
@johnmilk
Perfectly summed up. Max did what he reasonably could to avoid contact.
[TR]
1st April 2019, 11:11
I was going to say something, but… oooh, Sparks!
kpcart
1st April 2019, 11:12
The return of crashtappen and blaming someone else, you can clearly see verstappen doesn’t let anyone do a fair move on him, he divebombed into the mclaren clipped the kerb and hit him, and sainz left a car width then verstappen comes over the radio and says ‘he closed the door’. Yeh, he closed the door cos, like other drivers do, that’s when you decide to pull out of the move or crash.
w0o0dy
1st April 2019, 11:19
Sainz tried to overtake and Max defended. Sainz was not ahead at corner entry so he should have chosen a wider line. A small error in judgement on his side. There was very little Max could have done besides concede the corner as soon as someone tried to outbrake him (which is the weakass way and will never make you a winner/champion).
Adjust your views based on facts or be degraded to just another hater.
Matn
1st April 2019, 11:22
One ‘divebombs’ when they come from behind…in this came Verstappen was in front and stayed in front, on top, it was Sainz that made a move and Verstappen maintaining the racingline wich has every right to.
Sainz squeezed to much and payed the price for it, it’s as simple as that, you can not simply expect driver to move over in racing.
nase
1st April 2019, 11:48
That’s not correct. As the replay shows, Sainz was clearly ahead at the braking point, but Verstappen braked much later and made up at least a car length this way.
I’m not saying this should’ve been penalised, but saying a divebomb is impossible just because you were ahead shortly before an incident, doesn’t make sense.
Aiii (@)
1st April 2019, 12:16
Yes, braking a bit later into a corner to defend against an overtake is both allowed and, quite frankly, should be encouraged.
I do wonder at what point we stopped wanting people to fight for positions and just yield whenever a car get slightly ahead of them at the end of a straight (and/or DRS zone).
Robbie (@robbie)
1st April 2019, 14:28
@aiii Agreed. Well said. And the other drivers should know by now not to assume anything with Max. If you think you’ve gotten by, perhaps think again as he may still be right there with you.
nase
1st April 2019, 14:37
@aiii
I do wonder at what point you came to the conclusion that what you were going to write was in any way related to my comment.
nase
1st April 2019, 11:44
Nothing to complain about on either side. They both could’ve done more to avoid making contact, but the Stewards had no reason to get involved.
I just think it’s a crying shame that Sainz’ race was torn to shreds in such a minor racing incident. He had some giant-slaying pace and was shaping up to be the first driver in a midfield car to outrace Red Bull on sheer pace.
AMG44 (@amg44)
1st April 2019, 12:55
Max should learn the overtaking Precision from the Multiple World champions. Lewis and Vettel raced and overtook each other hard but with so much precision. Max is regularly making contact during overtakes. When Stroll was unlapping himself the commentary team got excited that its Max and a pink car again.
I am not saying he is fully at fault as Sainz didnt leave much room either but Max is already one down for the season. The next contact he makes which is likely soon, it might be him getting puncture and coming worse.
David (@nvherman)
1st April 2019, 14:12
@amg44 Did Verstappen and Stroll make contact when Stroll was unlapping himself? No, they were nowhere near each other. Take no notice of commentators who are just as likely as the rest of us to get over excited during a race (see one M. Walker for details).
They only mentioned it at all because of the idiotic move Ocon attempted on Verstappen at Brazil 2018.
Man United_Vettel (@siegfreyco)
1st April 2019, 14:17
I have been a critic of Max’s racing in the past and for this incident initially but I don’t really see how he could have been more inside because Sainz pinched him so much. Compare that to how Hamilton or others take a much wider line in overtaking their
Man United_Vettel (@siegfreyco)
1st April 2019, 14:17
*there
Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
1st April 2019, 13:16
The result of the collision was really harsh on Sainz. I hope he bounces back in China and McLaren maintains its pace. It’s really looking promising so far.
Patrick (@anunaki)
1st April 2019, 13:27
Max got a slow puncture from this, so maybe not 1 down (in your words)?
Being hard to overtake is a quality not a curse. Sainz should’ve just leave room on the inside when fighting for position. But he probably couldn’t imagine Max could brake that late and assumed he was gone. Because Sainz is no Max level.
It’s a shame the SC came out or Max would have 3 more points from with a pretty bad redbull car. He’s having the best season start of his career, hopefully they figure out the car ASAP so he can look up in the WDC from his current 3rd place.
Silfen (@silfen)
1st April 2019, 14:03
It’s clear imho that Sainz didn’t leave enough room for Verstappen as he was still inside him.
Bottas handled the overtake in the same corner a bit later a lot better, leaving enough space for Verstappen and going around in front of him.
Alonso (@alonshow)
2nd April 2019, 2:12
Wow, wow, wow, wow, Vers was inside Sainz? What did I miss here? I thought both of them had beautiful girlfriends… XDDD