Carlos Sainz explains why 2022 Japanese GP should not have been a standing start

Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz has explained that the Japanese Grand Prix race direction should have decided for a Formula 1 rolling start at the Suzuka circuit last Sunday and not the normal standing one which was used.

Despite the difficult weather conditions in Japan, the event started with the cars lining up on the grid as is normal, with just one notable moment at Turn 1, namely Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel spinning around due to a small contact with the Alpine of Fernando Alonso caused by the heavy spray.

After just a few corners, Carlos Sainz suffered from aquaplaning as he was heading to the Spoon turn while chasing the Red Bull RB18 car of Sergio Perez, sliding into the inside barrier and barely avoided bouncing back onto the racing line where cars blinded by spray would not have been able to see the F1-75 car of the Spaniard.

Following his retirement, the fifth DNF of the championship, Carlos Sainz has hit out on the call to use a standing start, pointing out that the conditions were far from acceptable.

Carlos Sainz on rolling start
“It was maybe that the best [solution] would have been a rolling start on extreme [Wet tyres] but anyway it was going to get worse, just to avoid any dangerous situation. But then they call us: ‘If we start in a rolling start on extreme [Wets] everyone complains that Formula 1 doesn’t race in the wet. But when you see the situation, basically we’re driving without visibility. So how can you drive a Formula 1 car at 300 kph – (186mph) without visibility?” – Carlos Sainz explained, at the end of the Japanese Grand Prix.

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French driver Pierre Gasly received a penalty imposed by the stewards for speeding under the red flags as he drove by the tractor which was on track to clear the F1-75 car of Carlos Sainz, but the Ferrari driver has some sympathy for the Scuderia AlphaTauri driver:

“I don’t know if people understand but even behind Safety Car, we are going at 100-150 kph and still at those speeds we don’t see nothing, even behind the Safety Car. So if one driver decides to get up out of the racing line and or has a small aquaplaning or has to change the switch on the steering wheel and gets a bit out of line and hits a tractor, it’s over. I still don’t know why we keep in these conditions risking having a tractor on track because it’s just worthless. You were going to red flag it anyway, so why take the risk?” – Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz concluded.