Ferrari woes strike again as Turn 1 collision ends Carlos Sainz’s US Grand Prix

Sam Cooper
Carlos Sainz in the paddock. Austin October 2022.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz walks through the paddock. Austin October 2022.

Carlos Sainz endured a nightmare start to the United States Grand Prix as he went from pole position to out of the race all within the first lap.

The Spaniard suffered a poor start off the line and was soon overtaken by Max Verstappen but the Ferrari man’s race was to only get worse from there.

Behind Verstappen and with the two Mercedes cars chasing, Sainz exited the first corner and turned in on the racing line only to be hit by George Russell.

The Mercedes man came into the corner at an unrealistic angle and hit his front tyre into the side of Sainz’s Ferrari, sending the Spaniard into a spin as he went from P2 to last.

His position hardly mattered though as Ferrari reported a water leak as a result of the damage and he was forced to retire at the end of the first lap.

Russell was found to be wholly at fault for the incident and was handed a five-second penalty by the stewards.

It was Sainz’s sixth DNF of the season having last failed to finish during the Austrian Grand Prix. It also means he ends a run of sixth consecutive point scores for Sainz.

The race in Austin was the third time in Sainz’s career that he started on pole but he has of yet been unable to convert that into a win.