Antonio Giovinazzi crashes again in Shanghai
Sauber had a difficult race, with Marcus Ericsson finishing 15th. Antonio Giovinazzi's race came to an end on the 4th lap, when the Italian driver went off the track again.
Weekends follow one another but are not the same. In Australia, the paddock unanimously highlighted the performances of Antonio Giovinazzi, called in on Saturday morning to address Pascal Wehrlein’s physical difficulties. The announcement of a second start in China once again fueled the rumor mill, suggesting that Sauber might not seek to retain the Mercedes protégé in favor of Ferrari’s.
If denials and expressions of support for Pascal Wehrlein followed one another over the weekend, it may have been on the track where the decision was made. Thus, the Italian driver made two mistakes in two days, on the same pit straight.
During the qualifiers, he went wide over the outside curbs before being launched into the safety barriers. Today, it was upon acceleration on a still very tricky track that the GP2 vice-champion made the mistake. He had no choice but to offer his sincerest apologies for destroying his car a second time: « Before anything else, I want to apologize again to the team. They worked tirelessly to have the car ready for the race. It’s really unfortunate to have had this accident again. It’s a lesson for me, I wish to forget this race weekend quickly. »
Monisha Kaltenborn, the team manager, did not fail to emphasize that the Transalpine was only at the beginning of his F1 career, with just a second race weekend: « Today was not our lucky day, even less so for Antonio. We are relieved that he came out unscathed. The racing conditions were difficult, especially for a driver who does not have much experience. »
However, things were not much more straightforward for a much more experienced driver like Marcus Ericsson. Indeed, the Swede had to contend with a car that clearly did not appreciate the Chinese cold: « The racing conditions were tough with low temperatures on the asphalt, and I couldn’t get the tires up to temperature. I struggled throughout the race with my tires, and I never managed to get them to the right temperature. »
The decision regarding the driver duo for next week in Sakhir should be made in the very next few days.
