Formula 1: Carlos Sainz Jr. at risk of missing Monaco?
By Asher Fair
Ferrari Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr. shot down rumors of him missing the Monaco Grand Prix with a suspected “injury”.
After the traditional Monaco football (soccer) charity match earlier this week, Ferrari Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr. was pictured with a bandage around his right leg.
In the age of social media, it didn’t take long for “Barney Fife to shoot himself in the chest”. The picture led to speculation that he had suffered a “significant injury” in the match and would thus be sidelined from this Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco and perhaps beyond.
Sainz called it nothing more than “people trying to get a bit of clickbait” with “a headline that has no base or no information”.
Carlos Sainz Jr. called out “amateur journalists” for effectively making up a story out of thin air ahead of this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The reality of it is that last year’s British Grand Prix winner simply took a bit of contact during the match, which is to be expected. It’s a physical sport.
He even put out a statement on social media in response to the rumors, using the hashtag #StopInventing.
Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know that I am well and completely ready to race this weekend in Monaco. What happened yesterday was simply a contact during the traditional charity football match, but it was not an injury. I enjoyed playing football as I always do and now I…
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) May 24, 2023
Given the rumors, some were probably surprised to see Sainz behind the wheel of his No. 55 Ferrari-powered SF23 on Friday at Circuit de Monaco. But there was no surprise from the Ferrari camp, nor should there have been.
Sainz topped FP1 at the 19-turn, 2.074-mile (3.338-kilometer) Monte Carlo street circuit and placed third in FP2, though his FP2 session ended in the barriers at the exit of La Piscine.
In seven career starts in Monaco, Sainz has never finished outside of the top 10, scoring points in every event. He has finished in second place in each of the last two years. He led three laps at the track last May, marking the first time he had ever led at the iconic venue.
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The Monaco Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live on ESPN from Circuit de Monaco this Sunday, May 28 beginning at 8:55 a.m. ET, and barring some sort of unforeseen circumstance from now until then, Sainz is indeed set to compete in the crown jewel race. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don’t miss qualifying (ESPN, Saturday at 9:55 a.m. ET) or the race itself!