Daniel Ricciardo Diagnoses How Ferrari’s ”Strange” Setup Placed Carlos Sainz for a Severe Crash in Abu Dhabi

After witnessing Carlos Sainz slam his SF-23 into the barriers during FP2 at the Abu Dhabi GP, Daniel Ricciardo had a strange feeling. Given how easy and flat turn 3 is, Ricciardo revealed exactly what went wrong for the Spaniard during that high-speed shunt which brought out the red flags, per reports on X.

The honey badger revealed, “It looked like Ferrari had driven the car too low. Lando [Norris] is [in Las Vegas] something very similar happened, or at least that’s what it looked like. But it’s strange because you should actually be able to drive through Turn 2 and Turn 3 with your eyes closed. They’re fast corners, but they’re easy to fill. That’s why: strange. It’s reminiscent… I remember my Monaco accident in the swimming pool area a year ago.”

Steaming into the long right-hander, that is turn 3, the Spanish racing ace seemingly lost the rear-end of his SF23. And in he went towards the barriers. In the aftermath of the crash, Sainz said, “Unfortunately I just couldn’t control the car. It just snapped on me and it’s those moments where you feel like you’re a complete passenger and you wish you maybe could have done something different.”

Ricciardo was glad that Sainz got out of the car unscathed. However, in terms of the Spaniard’s Grand Prix on Sunday, it looks as though he will be sitting the season finale out.

Carlos Sainz could sit out of Abu Dhabi GP due to FIA’s mandate

The Formula 1 cost-cap has had an immense impact on the expenditure an F1 team can endure over the course of a season. Naturally, with the $140,000,000 restriction imposed, the budgets of a lot of teams have been curtailed.

Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur has revealed that the team might not have funds required to repair Sainz’s car within the cost-cap if the damage is too extensive. Hence, chatter is on in the paddock about the Spaniard missing the final race of the 2023 season.

If Sainz wants to compete, then, the damage on his car must be minimal. Be that as it may, if Sainz is forced to sit out of the Grand Prix on Sunday, then, it gives Mercedes the perfect advantage to retain P2 in the Constructors’ championship ahead of Ferrari.