Toro Rosso was a victim of reliability issues in Shanghai

Carlos Sainz’s race was eventful. Early in the race, he fell victim to an excess of optimism that sent him into a spin at the end of the straight while attempting an overtaking maneuver on Sergio Perez’s Sahara Force India.

But the Spaniard managed to avoid the same fate as Marcus Ericsson in Malaysia, which was being stuck in the gravel trap, though his race was then largely compromised: « It was a tough race today. We started on the Primes, but the track was very green and dirty at the beginning. So we really lacked grip. I was pushing really hard to overtake the Force India during the first stint but, unfortunately, I made a mistake. It’s really a shame! »

But his problems did not stop there as his mechanics also decided to get involved: for several hundred meters, the Formula Renault 3.5 champion was no longer able to shift gears before it started functioning normally again. « Unfortunately, we had a problem with the gearbox, which we will have to analyze. Without this issue, I think we could have fought for the points. »

Points, Max Verstappen long believed he could earn them again. But his engine gave out with only three laps to go while he was solidly holding the eighth position: « It’s a disappointing way to end a race that had been going very well until then! Being in the points and having to stop so close to the finish is very frustrating. Obviously, I am not satisfied with the final result, but as a team, we did the best job possible. The car was performing well. Even though we lacked top speed, the braking and aerodynamic downforce were excellent. That helped me make some great overtakes, which I really enjoyed. »

It is therefore interesting to note that the young Dutchman highlights two strong points about his single-seater, which are precisely the current weaknesses of the Red Bull cars.