Carlos Sainz managed to secure a ninth-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix despite a misjudged tyre strategy. The Williams driver reflects on his recovery drive after starting the race on intermediate tyres.
Carlos Sainz found himself in a bit of a pickle at the Canadian Grand Prix, but he still managed to turn things around and secure a ninth-place finish. The Williams driver started the race in 15th position and made a bold call to begin on intermediate tyres, anticipating some wet weather. Unfortunately for Sainz, the rain was more of a mirage, leaving him with no choice but to pit after just two laps. This decision dropped him towards the back of the pack.
Reflecting on his choice, Sainz said, "I think coming back from the back of the field to P9 is a very strong result for us." He candidly admitted the tyre decision was his mistake, noting that the track was wet when he made the call, but it dried up much faster than expected. "My mistake," he conceded, "but from there, it was good that I managed to get a bit of hunger out of it and drive fast to bring home another top-10 for us."
This result marked his third ninth-place finish in four races, which, given the new regulations for 2026, is a respectable achievement for Williams. Sainz was particularly chuffed about matching the pace of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who also tried their luck with intermediate tyres. "That second stint after the inter call, when I put the medium tyre on, I was at times as quick as the McLarens, as quick as the top cars," Sainz remarked, highlighting his strong pace.
As the race progressed, Sainz had to focus on maintaining his position, as the top midfield cars were too far ahead due to his early mistake. Nonetheless, it was a commendable drive from the Spaniard, who managed to extract the maximum from a less-than-ideal situation. It's clear that while the strategy didn't quite go to plan, Sainz's skill and determination helped salvage a solid result for Williams.