‘Leclerc spoke on the radio as if he is already Ferrari’s lead driver’

I saw a great race at Silverstone with some spectacular battles, and not just on the first lap. Drivers side by side, one corner after the other. Really good to see. I didn’t enjoy Ferrari’s strategic calls as much, or those crazy people on the track.

Guanyu Zhou’s crash was a shock, it looked worse than it might have been in terms of impact. You never want to see cars flying into the fences, that can be very dangerous so he was lucky. I was also shocked by the images of protesters sitting on the track. How stupid can you be, do they have any idea how dangerous that is for themselves and the drivers? Cars coming at you at 300 kilometres per hour, that’s a bit different than running naked across the field. Really ridiculous.

But of course I have to talk about Ferrari. What I liked about Leclerc’s race was how fast he was with a damaged front wing. Maybe they should take another look at the design, because the car seemed to do just fine. But there was no logic behind the decision to let him continue on the hard tyres after the safety car in the final phase, they gave away a one-two there. And I keep seeing Ferrari making mistakes like this all the time. Perhaps they hoped Sainz would stop Hamilton or were afraid that Hamilton would not stop if Leclerc did come in. I understand Leclerc’s anger after the race, this is another example of a conservative strategy.

What he does need to work on is his communication with the team. Sure, Sainz was slower yesterday, but a one-two was definitely on. The moment they made the tyre change made sense otherwise, because they were losing the race at that moment. But that was not the case in the previous phase. Then Leclerc spoke as if he had already definitively been declared lead driver and he is not, including contractually. It’s too early for that, Sainz still has a chance. He scored well today and after a good result and a poor day for the competition, he can be right back at it. A decision too early while two drivers have a chance at the title can also cost you as a team. Eddie Irvine left many points to Michael Schumacher in 1999 and eventually lost the championship as a result.

So I think Ferrari will not be very happy with the tone on the radio. Leclerc asked for a decision and it came: “Sainz has been told to pick up the pace.” That should be enough and then the radio messages should also stop. Banging on about it is useless; everything is broadcast and that is not good for Ferrari either. Do that behind closed doors after the race.

In any case, the championship was the big winner of this race, it has got a bit closer again. Who knows, this victory may trigger something in Sainz. Will he now start taking poles or winning races more often? I’m really curious about whether championship pressure does anything to him. He is an intelligent and sensible boy with a good car. Some buckle under the pressure or take their foot off the pedal. While others get launched and are unstoppable, as happened with Verstappen. One thing is certain, Carlos Sainz is no longer Carlos Sainz’s son. He is Carlos Sainz.