Carlos Sainz Jnr said he prevented Franco Colapinto from overtaking him by exploiting Formula 1’s new Overtake mode.
The power boost works in a similar way to the Drag Reduction System which was dropped at the end of last year. Drivers gain an additional speed boost when they close within a second of a car ahead.
Sainz came under attack from Colapinto in the closing stages of yesterday’s race. The Alpine caught the Williams quickly by Sainz played a tactical game as the pair were lapped by faster cars.
As drivers can gain Overtake mode from cars passing by to lap them, Sainz ensured he did so in such a way that he could gain the extra power boost and frustrate Colapinto’s efforts to catch him.
“Because it [was for ninth place] I knew if he attacked me, I wouldn’t have played it too stupid, given the fact that I could still get a top 10,” said Sainz. “For the team, one point is still a good result, so I was not going to play too aggressive.
“But then I saw the blue flags coming and I said if I play this well I can give him dirty air, then get my Overtake mode, give him dirty air, Overtake [and so on].”
“So rather than a DRS train, an Overtake mode train,” Sainz explained.
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Sainz’s tactics paid off to deliver Williams’ first points of the season. “In the end it’s still a P9 for me, it’s not what I want,” he said. “Even though it’s good points for me and for the team, I really hope it serves as motivation, as boost for everyone back at home to dig deep now.
“It’s not the start of the season we wanted, it is not what were our intentions with this car, so we need this result I think to push hard back in the factory to start bringing performance. Because the reality is that today even fighting with midfield cars, I felt like I had no chance. So it’s frustrating, but at the same time, a good result that we take home, and we hope it helps everyone.”
His hopes of scoring points were boosted when he moved up from 17th on the grid to 11th on lap one, partly aided by other drivers failing to take the start.
“The start is something definitely I’m proud of because it’s where the driver can also make a bit of a difference,” said Sainz. “I had a mega start in Melbourne, mega start yesterday in the sprint, mega star today in the race, so at least the starts in my department, I am doing everything I can.”
He said the start was “just a bit like Mario Kart” because he got away so much more quickly than others. “Then suddenly you ask on the radio which position you are and you’re at P10 and you are like ‘okay, let’s see how I defend this now’.
“So I was definitely enjoying that one and then towards the end again with Franco he pitted for new mediums, he was coming back very quick on us and we managed to keep him behind playing a bit with blue flags, with the Overtake mode and just doing everything in my head to try and sneak my way into P9.”
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2026 Chinese Grand Prix
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