Carlos Sainz was the hero of the day, and fans’ driver of the day for the second time in his two races this season.
It was all inconsequential because his rear-brake caliper stuck on the grid, akin to leaving the handbrake on, and would quickly and spectacularly overheat that corner meaning he would experience his first non-finish for 43 races.
We often see the cars smoking away on the grid as the drivers have punished the brakes on the formation lap to help prepare them – and the wheel rim and tyre core temperatures – for the start and first few corners.
Sainz had already overtaken Verstappen but the RB20 was ailing. Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull would only finish fifth, some half-minute behind, before the virtual safety car intervened on the last lap, but he apparently had some aerodynamic damage having earlier shown very good pace.
McLaren kept Ferrari remarkably honest with their race pace suggesting Verstappen would have been right in there. We’ll never know the answer to the question of course, but my gut feeling all the way through was that it was Ferrari’s day.
