The word ‘luck’ isn’t typically associated with being a Formula 1 racing driver considering all 20 drivers possess a huge amount of skill to do what they do at every race weekend.
However, there are also a lot of factors out of each driver’s control that can have a massive impact on a race and that was the case again at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Former mechanic and BBC pundit Marc Priestley was speaking on The Chequered Flag Podcast about one driver who had their fair share of fortune on the streets of Monte Carlo.
There were plenty of incidents on the opening lap including a crash involving both Haas cars and Sergio Perez and a collision between Alpine teammates Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
Nico Hulkenberg may consider himself incredibly unlucky that he was caught up in the incident between Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez that ended all of their races.
However, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz may be considering himself very lucky as that accident allowed him to take the restart in Monaco from his original grid position after suffering a puncture going through the opening corner of the race.
The Spaniard – who has five pole positions to his name – took full advantage and went on to join his teammate Charles Leclerc on the podium with Ferrari having nearly the perfect weekend on the streets of the principality.
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Carlos Sainz was incredibly lucky during the Monaco Grand Prix
Heading into qualifying, Charles Leclerc had shown during practice that Ferrari had the quickest car at his home race.
The 26-year-old pulled out all of the stops to put his car on the pole position and was nearly joined by Sainz on the front row.
However, a superb lap from Oscar Piastri split the two cars, although he didn’t have the best getaway from 2 place.
Sainz stuck his car down the inside but couldn’t get past the Australian and they made the slightest contact, causing him to pick up a puncture.
The 29-year-old went straight on at the Casino corner and it looked like his chances of scoring points were over, however, when the red flag came out it was Sainz’s lucky day in Monaco.
When the race was restarted, the grid formed up in the same order as the original race start, rather than where each driver was in the standings as the race was suspended.
Sainz gained 13 places as a result – he could have started 16 instead of 3 – and played his part in a tactical battle at the front that earned him another podium finish.
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Marc Priestley explains how Carlos Sainz achieved a Monaco Grand Prix podium
Talking about the first lap incidents, Priestley said: “It was about half the size [Sergio Perez’s car] when he finished and a huge clean-up job for the marshals.
“What happened was and what was really crucial for Carlos Sainz was because he had that puncture after the contact with Oscar Piastri, you think at that point his race is over and the end of the weekend for him.
“Seconds later, that big crash with Perez happens, red flags come out and crucially the red flags came out a few metres before the end of the first timing sector.
“And because of that, because they hadn’t crossed that first timing sector when they got to the restart, they reshuffled the cars back into their original order.
“If it had been a few metres later, officially the race would have started and what they would have done is restart the race from the existing order.
“It’s a massive amount of luck on the part of Carlos Sainz but you know some days it goes your way, some days it doesn’t.
“It was his day today, he made it count after getting that stroke of luck, lining up again in 3 for the restart, he managed to keep that position to get the podium.”
Carlos Sainz heads to Canada with another 2025 option off the table
Sainz may have been slightly lucky to have got away with his puncture in Monaco, but off the track, he appears to be running out of options next year.
He’s been waiting months to see if he can take Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull but Sainz is no longer being considered for that seat.
Although Aston Martin haven’t confirmed Lance Stroll as Fernando Alonso’s teammate, he won’t be going there either despite suggestions that he would be a great fit.
It means that Sainz will be joining a team nearer the back of the grid in 2025 if he stays in Formula 1.
Audi have been desperate to sign Sainz for a long time to pair him with Nico Hulkenberg next season.
However, Williams have also made an offer to sign Sainz as well and the Spaniard may have a tough decision to make between the two teams with just two points between them this year.
The post ‘Made it count’: Marc Priestley suggests five-pole position star had ‘massive amount of luck’ during Monaco GP appeared first on F1 Oversteer.