The 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix race was going to be one of strong emotions, since Carlos Sainz defended the pole position he achieved on Saturday, the third of his life, with Max Verstappen from second place, wanting dedicate a win to the founder of his Red Bull team, Dietrich Mateschitz , who tragically passed away after months of battling illness.
When the traffic lights went out, the Ferrari driver took longer to react than the Dutchman, who took the lead before reaching the first corner, while the Spaniard chose to make a wider line to get better traction. That decision was key for the man from Madrid, because from behind, the two Mercedes, who came wanting to do well and fish in a troubled river, approached to the point that George Russell hit Sainz on the left side of his F1- 75.
Video: Russell rams Sainz at the start of the United States GP
The impact caused a spin that sent him to the back of the peloton, as well as a puncture in one of his tires. Sainz attempted to return to the pits for his team to fix the damage, but because it was irreparable, the Maranello mechanics decided to keep the car in the garage and retire it .
For his part, George Russell , who did not suffer major damage in the contact with the Ferrari, remained in third place, behind Lewis Hamilton, but the stewards, immediately after reviewing the action, imposed a five-second penalty which you should meet at your first stop.
However, he lost the place to Lance Stroll in his Aston Martin, only to regain that position on the backstretch when DRS was activated.
This is the sixth abandonment of the Spaniard so far in the 2022 season, and mathematically he almost said goodbye to the runner-up options, since Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez were able to continue their comeback after grid penalties for changing engine components.
Video: the Russell-Sainz accident at the United States GP in slow motion and Ferrari’s reaction
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