Carlos Sainz Criticizes Lindblad's Driving, Disagrees with Alonso's Driver Quality Remarks

Carlos Sainz found himself needing a new front wing after a run-in with Arvid Lindblad during the United States Grand Prix, which he described as "dangerous." Despite this, he doesn't see eye-to-eye with Fernando Alonso's assessment that the quality of drivers in the "lower third" of the grid is "very low." Alonso's comments came after he suffered significant floor damage when Alex Albon attempted a bold overtake at Turn 11.

Sainz, meanwhile, had his own troubles with Lindblad when the Racing Bulls driver squeezed him towards the wall on the front straight. Although Sainz tried to assert his position, Lindblad shut the door, leaving Sainz baffled by the lack of an investigation from the stewards. "I’m surprised he got away with that," Sainz remarked, noting how close it came to a major incident. "It was a pretty nasty moment there on the wall," he added, frustrated by the damage to his car and the slow pit stop that followed.

When asked about Alonso's critique of driver standards, Sainz acknowledged Lindblad's aggressive move but disagreed with the notion that driving standards are lacking. "I think we are all pretty very high standards," he commented, suggesting that occasional misjudgments are part and parcel of the sport. He admitted that Lindblad's move might have been "too much," but noted that everyone experiences such moments. "What I’m surprised is that when you are too much, you get away with it," Sainz quipped, reflecting on his own experiences where he felt consequences were unavoidable.

In the end, while Sainz didn't shy away from criticizing Lindblad's actions, he stopped short of supporting Alonso’s sweeping generalization about the grid's lower third. It seems every driver might have a different view on what constitutes acceptable risk and how often F1's unwritten rules are bent without penalty.