Sainz admits fault but says Sochi Turn 2 is poorly designed

Solid 6th in qualifying in Sochi, Carlos Sainz did not go beyond the 2nd corner of the Russian Grand Prix. The pilot McLaren indeed tore off his left front wheel while he was trying to take the emergency lane located to the far left of the first braking escape route and marked by polystyrene bollards. 

The information note from FIA race director Michael Masi (definitely) specified that any driver who missed the apex at turn 2 and left the limits of the track had to go around a series of signs before rejoining the track in complete safety. . 

« Unfortunately there was someone on the inside of turn 2 at the start and I went a little wide, rewound Sainz after his retirement. By the time I made the decision to go around the pins, I found myself with a very, very tight entry angle. I misjudged my approach speed and hit the wall quite violently. My bad.

I still think that this shift should not exist. It is not fun to negotiate and leads to these kinds of problems. The turn is poorly designed. We could see it again this Sunday where several pilots missed the apex point and had to pass between the blocks, sometimes destroying them ».

Sainz was in fact not the only driver to have to do gymkhana in the first braking zone of the Russian autodrome. If Max Verstappen did well initially, Romain Grosjean resulted in a Virtual Safety Car period 10 laps from the goal after hitting a polystyrene bollard. 

Daniel Ricciardo et Alexander albon for their part received a 5-second penalty for not having followed the race director's instructions. 

« The layout is weird in this area, judges the pilot Renault. If I take my situation for example, I had a wheel lock but I tried to negotiate the turn anyway, telling myself that it would pass.

The problem is that you realize that it's not going to do it at the very last moment and then have to go all the way to the left to look for the emergency route. You arrive at a point of no return because you would lose much more than 5 seconds in the maneuver ». 

Ricciardo also believes that the route should be reviewed in this area. Opinion shared by George Russell, who finds this turn 2 “ no good for the race ". The pilot Williams reveals that he proposed modifying the track taking inspiration from the hairpin that opens the tour in Bahrain.