‘A lack of experience’ - Sainz blames Piastri as pair disagree about clash

Ferrari driver Sainz and McLaren’s Piastri came to blows at the first corner on the opening lap of Sunday’s race at Spa-Francorchamps, with both picking up damage that would ultimately prove race-ending. 

Sainz, who started fourth, looked to attack Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes into Turn 1 but locked up and collided with Piastri, squeezing his rival into further contact with the inside wall. 

The Spaniard criticised Piastri for “trying to do a bit of an optimistic move” and suggested that a lack of experience was behind the incident. 

“I was on the attack with Lewis into Turn 1 and I think I pretty much had the move done and then I received a bit of contact on my rear-right,” Sainz said.  

“If you want my honest opinion, I think it was a bit of a mistake by Oscar trying to go through side-by-side into [Turn] 1.

“If you look at the last seven, eight years, everyone who has tried that move, it’s never really worked and has generated a bit of a crash when you look at the past races. 

"So yeah, I don’t know if it was a bit of a lack of experience, a bit optimistic, but again a racing incident that cost us a race.” 

Sainz added: “I didn’t miss the apex or anything, I went to attack Lewis and Oscar went to attack Lewis and me which I think in my opinion was a bit optimistic.”

But Piastri had a very different opinion to Sainz, claiming over team radio: “I don’t know what he was doing. I was there and he just turned in like I didn’t exist.”

Speaking to media afterwards, the Australian added: “I had a pretty good launch, I was getting alongside Carlos and then he kind of jinked to the inside a bit and I obviously had to get out of the brakes to not get hit. 

“My nose was kind of there and at that point, it was too late to try and back out, so unfortunately I ended up in contact. A shame to end so early."