Sainz 'happy to salvage' points at Imola after Albon near miss

Carlos Sainz was "happy to salvage" a handful of points from the Emilia Romagna GP after the McLaren driver's race almost ended in tears following a near miss with Alex Albon.

The race was restarted after a Safety Car period with just five laps to run, with a raging battle set to unfold for the final spot on the podium.

Sainz was right behind Albon in eighth position when the Red Bull driver spun on the exit of the Tamburello chicane on the restart lap. The Spaniard piled on the brakes but came within inches of collecting his rival.

"I had to react really quickly on the brakes," Sainz explained. "I just missed him by the tiniest of margins, so happy to salvage that".

Read also: Albon puzzled by late spin in Emilia Romagna GP

The end result for Sainz was a seventh-place finish, a position in the pecking order that would have been hard to improve on according to the McLaren driver.

"We managed to overtake Lando [Norris] in the first few laps. I always felt like I had more pace than the guys in front but it was just difficult to overtake," he said.

"We were one of the soft runners to stay and put in some good laps there at the end, and I managed to keep the soft tyres alive.

"I had a very strong first stint and a strong actually second stint. It was just difficult to get a move on. I could only really pass Lando but then the rest were very tricky to pass."

Sainz's result coupled with Norris' P8 right behind allowed McLaren to maintain its fourth place in the Constructors' championship on a par with Racing Point, while Renault now leads the pair by just a single point.

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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.