Chassis change anticipated for Sainz at Barcelona

Suffering from heat stroke in the middle of a scorching summer is something you could have done without. Carlos Sainz, he who is already experiencing a frustrating start to the season marked by stubborn bad luck. 

To try to find a solution, McLaren therefore brought forward the change of chassis which was to take place at Spa-Francorchamps for the Madrilenian. 

« We made several modifications to the assembly process of Carlos' car to try to understand the temperature differences between the two cars at Silverstone., explained team principal Andreas Seidl this Friday morning. We changed several parts, including the monocoque because the radiator ducts are connected to the chassis ». 

We have to see in free practice this Friday if we have managed to resolve the problem. Carlos' car was 2 or 3 degrees warmer, a threshold that requires the addition of openings in the chassis to improve cooling. This is a disadvantage because drag increases, which ultimately impacts top speed and lap time. ». 

Sainz confided Thursday at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit that the bad luck which is disrupting the start of the campaign was starting to weigh on morale. Especially since at the same time, his teammate Lando Norris scored a podium and several other Top 5 finishes. 

Seidl sympathizes with future driver Ferrari, whose first 5 races were partly spoiled by repeated problems during pit stops and a flat tire at Silverstone while he was racing towards 4th place in the British GP. 

« Carlos was the victim of several twists of fate, which caused him to lose a lot of points compared to Lando, even though he delivered great performances in qualifying and in the race. », added the German team principal. 

Sainz hopes to find a smile again during his home meeting, a race where he has always finished in the points since his debut in F1 in 2015 with Toro Rosso.