Sainz: puncture was 'painful end to painful weekend'

For a few short minutes at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz thought that his luck might finally have turned in Spa - until a sudden puncture spelled a premature finish to his race on just the second lap at Spa-Francorchamps.

"A painful end to a painful weekend which looked to be solved after I raced the first lap, but then it returned back to bad," is how he summarised his time in Spa this week.

The team had been struggling for pace all weekend, leaving Sainz qualifying down in 14th place for Sunday's race, but a combination of circumstances at the start of the race itself meant he quickly and unexpectedly shot up into a potential points position.

Sainz had been able to take advantage of the confusion caused by Red Bull's Max Verstappen flying down the inside of La Source and hitting Kimi Raikkonen, who was in turn thrown into the path of his Ferrari team mate Sebastian Vettel while the rest of the field hastily scattered.

"I think I managed to pass one of the Renaults at the start, then I chose the inside line through turn 1 and everyone who went wide I also got past so I had a really good turn 1," recalled Sainz.

"I think I was up to P12, P11. Then I got a good run down the Kemmel Straight, overtook another Renault - up to P10 - then I saw Max and a Ferrari struggling with damage and managed to pass them [so I was up to] P8. And then I passed [Sergio] Perez and suddenly I saw myself in P7 which was a very good first lap."

Unfortunately that run of good luck was about to come to a crushing end for Sainz as he started lap 2.

"I was defending from Perez into turn 1 and as soon as I exited turn 1 I could start feeling something weird in my rear tyre.

"I did Eau Rouge how I could by holding onto the rear, and then I saw the rear delaminating in the Kemmel Straight and my race was over. And then a 360 [spin], and a wheelie, and then I was finished!

"At that point, I was really, really frustrated. I shouted quite a lot over the radio."

Sainz' team mate Daniil Kvyat went on to complete the race distance but finished in 14th place, which was in some way a comfort for the Spanish driver.

"It's not like looking at the results on the pace of Dany that points would have come today. At least I managed to show up, did myself with a good start, and then retired."

Sainz admitted that all things considered, he could find few positives from this weekend's Grand Prix.

"From the team and the performance I say no, because we are nowhere, the way we should have been which is not one second off the points.

"From my side, I don't know really because I think the race was on to do at least a strong race, maybe a P12 or P11 but never a point. But my job is to extract the maximum out of the car.

"I had a chance at the start, put myself into contention, and without racing you never know what can happen."

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