Carlos Sainz once broke all expectations to stand on the highest level of the podium. In a time when all supposition was against the Spaniard and Ferrari, Sainz stepped up to do the unthinkable amid heavy chaos.
The event dates back to the 2022 British Grand Prix when Ferrari was the clear underdogs against the mighty Red Bulls. Banking on the situation and having understood the turn of events, a fan approached the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and his teammate Sainz.
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As seen in the video on Instagram, the fan approached the car where Leclerc and Sainz were seating. As he advanced towards the car, he began to shoot and wished them good luck for P3.
“You good, yeah? Good luck today. I wanna see P3, yeah,” the fan in the video said.
Once the fan was done with his wish, his optimism was what surprised the duo. Following this, the Spaniard asked back, “Why P3?” and began to smile, while the Monegasque burst out in laughter.
Carlos Sainz managed to go beyond expectations
As the 2022 Silverstone race began, it was quickly brought to a halt with a red flag after Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu had a heavy crash on Lap 1. But history was made when Sainz won the British GP, beating Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Sergio Perez.
Despite the fan showing his optimism about P3 in Silverstone, the Ferrari star had something else in mind. He not only was on the podium but also claimed the win for his team, thus making the fan go ecstatic, probably.
A FIRST RACE WIN FOR CARLOS SAINZ!!!
The Spaniard takes the chequered flag with Perez finishing second. Hamilton comes home third #BritishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/mHnalIynnC
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 3, 2022
Furthermore, it was the first Grand Prix win of his career. Even though it might be just another win for Ferrari, it’ll always be exceptional for the 28-year-old and the fan who was optimistic about P3.
Why did the fan want P3, not more?
This is where the real question lies. Being a supporter of the most successful team in F1, why would someone want their drivers to finish in P3? Well, for that one needs to understand how the 2022 F1 season unfolded before everyone’s eyes.
The season began with Prancing Horse’s domination as they clinched two wins out of three races and took a hefty lead against Red Bull and Mercedes. Leclerc was flying and was regarded as the potential driver’s championship winner.
FERRARI STRATEGY BLUNDER… AGAIN.
Leclerc pits from 3rd for the soft tire as the hard compound went nowhere. Another tough break for the Monegasque.#Formula1 | #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/50EhJhH7qF
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 31, 2022
However, as the sport went to Italy, there was no looking back for Red Bull. The Austrian team won six straight races from Emilia Romagna to the Canadian GP. Before Silverstone, they were close to claiming a seventh victory.
The Red Bull RB-18s of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez looked mighty against their competitors. Furthermore, the Italian team was suffering from reliability issues, as well as from strategy blunders. Hence, keeping two Bulls out in front, P3 was an optimistic ask from a fan’s perspective, looking back at those circumstances.
