Sainz backs Lewis Hamilton in engineer exchange with ‘exactly the same…read more
As the Formula 1 season progresses from the Australian Grand Prix to the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix, drivers are quickly transitioning from a challenging weekend to preparing for the next race. One of the most discussed topics since Australia was the tension between Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer, Riccardo Adami. However, Carlos Sainz, the new Williams driver, has revealed that he faces a similar situation in his own career.
Sainz, who recently made a switch to Williams, commented that the challenges of adapting to a new team and a new engineer are not unique to Hamilton. The issue Hamilton faced, especially during his debut with Ferrari, involved frequent communication difficulties with Adami. On race day, Hamilton repeatedly requested to be allowed to drive the car in the manner he preferred, as the engineer suggested actions like pressing specific buttons on the steering wheel or initiating overtakes that seemed impractical, considering the distance between Hamilton and the cars ahead. The radio exchanges led to some criticism, with pundit Ralf Schumacher accusing both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc of being difficult over the radio. Former F1 driver Christian Danner also stated that Hamilton needed to adapt to the Ferrari system rather than expecting Ferrari to adjust to his driving style.
Sainz, who replaced Hamilton at Ferrari, understands the complexities of moving to a new team. Reflecting on his own transition to Williams, he explained that the communication challenges faced by Hamilton are the same ones he is encountering. However, Sainz highlighted a key difference: he was unable to experience a race like the Australian Grand Prix, where the communication demands are high. Sainz retired from the Australian race before completing a lap due to a torque burst caused by a failed gear change, which led to a crash. Consequently, he missed the opportunity to work closely with his new engineer under race conditions, which would have been crucial for building a stronger working relationship.
Despite missing that vital race experience, Sainz is optimistic about the future. He stressed that he and his engineer are already working on reviewing the Australian Grand Prix together, even though he was not able to race. He explained that understanding how to communicate effectively during a demanding race is vital to achieving success, and he believes that, had he been able to race, they could have secured a good result, much like his teammate, Alex Albon. Sainz is focused on learning from the experience, even if he didn’t race, and sees it as an important learning curve. He emphasized that with 23 races remaining in the season, there will be plenty of opportunities to refine communication and race strategy moving forward.
In conclusion, both Hamilton and Sainz are facing similar challenges in their transitions to new teams, particularly in terms of communication with their engineers. While Hamilton’s struggles have been more widely discussed, Sainz’s comments show that the learning curve is steep for all drivers when adapting to new team dynamics. Despite his misfortune in Australia, Sainz remains confident and focused on improving his performance, knowing that future races will provide more opportunities to build a strong relationship with his engineer and deliver better results.
