'I spun but it was a sacrifice,' says Sainz

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Carlos Sainz had an eventful day at the office which started in the worst possible way but ended with a points-scoring finish.

The Toro Rosso driver launched his race from P15 only to find himself pointing in the wrong direction on the exit of Turn 1 on the opening lap!

While from the outside it looked like a case of a heavy foot on cold tyres, Sainz contends that his spin was the result of taking evasive action to avoid hitting team mate Dany Kvyat who had run wide at the start and was coming back into the traffic.

"What a crazy race! said Sainz.

"The start to it was already difficult: when I got to Turn 1 I saw Daniil rejoining the track and I had to quickly avoid crashing into him, which would’ve been a disaster for the team!

"I spun, but it was a sacrifice I had to do."

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Sainz didn't blame his team mate however for maneuver.

"It's a racing incident for me. I'm not going to blame him for that because I would have probably done the same.

"When you are the car behind you have to decide in milliseconds to either keep it flat and maybe have a contact with your teammate or turn the wheel and force yourself into a spin."

After recovering, Sainz put in a solid drive, progressing up the order as events unfolded. In the end however, he did not expect a P8 finish.

"No, definitely not, especially with the not-so-very-good pace that we've had all weekend, and I thought it would be tricky to come back but I actually started feeling pretty well with the car.

"We managed to overtake some people and suddenly we were P8! And I can say I’m satisfied with today’s result in the end!"

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.