• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Carlos Sainz accuses F1 team of 'manipulating' Monaco Grand Prix with 1000 IQ tactics

Home> F1

Published 08:52 26 May 2025 GMT+1

Carlos Sainz accuses F1 team of 'manipulating' Monaco Grand Prix with 1000 IQ tactics

Sainz was less than happy after the chequered flag in Monte Carlo.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

Williams driver Carlos Sainz has accused one Formula 1 team of 'manipulation' during the Monaco Grand Prix.

Sainz finished 10th on the streets of Monte Carlo, in a race which was won by McLaren's Lando Norris.

The main story of the Grand Prix surrounded a new FIA-enforced rule change, introducing a mandatory two-stop race to attempt to improve the quality of the racing.

Advert

It appeared to have had a positive effect in the early laps, with several backmarker cars stopping early and quickly catching up to the back of the pack.

But as the race wore on, it quickly became clear that some teams had developed a strategy to deal with the pit stop requirement, with one car essentially backing up the pack behind to allow their team-mate to build a big enough gap in front to pit and maintain their position.

It worked incredibly well for the Racing Bulls team, with Isack Hadjar - who started the race sixth - able to make two pit stops and only drop two places, due to the slow pace of team-mate Liam Lawson behind.

Advert

With it being almost impossible to overtake in Monte Carlo, no other driver could get past Lawson and the end result was huge gaps between the leaders and the midfield by the time of the chequered flag.

Hadjar would eventually finish sixth, with Lawson in eighth.

The strategy worked in Williams' favour as well, with Alex Albon slowing down at one stage to allow Sainz to build a gap on him and pit, and vice versa.

At one point, Mercedes' George Russell - who had been held up behind Albon for the whole race - hilariously decided to cut the chicane just to pass the Williams driver, earning a drive-through penalty.

Advert

Image: Twitter/@F1
Image: Twitter/@F1

But speaking after the race, Sainz was less than impressed with Racing Bulls for effectively starting the domino effect that continued for the rest of the Grand Prix.

He told Spanish media: "It [the pit stop strategy] wasn't something we thought we had to do. But it was something we feared the RB could do to us, and they did.

"The two pit stops haven't changed anything, and the race is still super boring. People manipulate the races like we, and the rest, did with rhythms.

Advert

"Really upset with this race and the sport in general. We haven't raced today. We have done whatever we wanted today."

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, meanwhile, finished in fourth place and labelled the race 'boring', claiming that nothing could be done to make it more exciting.

"I think I could have done four pit stops, and I would still have been in the same position," he told Viaplay. "That's Monaco for you.

"The problem is, you saw at the end that my tyres were pretty much done, you're driving about two to three seconds too slow, and you can still not do anything."

Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports

Topics: Formula 1

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
8 hours ago
10 hours ago
2 days ago
  • 7 hours ago

    F1 driver 'set to be replaced' after Austrian GP as team make brutal decision

    There could be another change to the 2025 Formula 1 line-up.

    F1
  • 8 hours ago

    Ferrari announce shock driver change for F1 Austrian Grand Prix race weekend

    Formula 1 will return this weekend in Austria.

    F1
  • 10 hours ago

    F1 fans adamant axed driver has 'confirmed' his return to the grid with latest post

    Formula 1 will return this weekend with the Austrian Grand Prix.

    F1
  • 2 days ago

    Every F1 driver that cameos in new Brad Pitt film as five drivers miss final cut

    Several big names did not make it into the highly-anticipated movie.

    F1
  • Major F1 Grand Prix dropped from 2026 race calendar as full season released
  • Ferrari announce shock driver change for F1 Austrian Grand Prix race weekend
  • Three F1 drivers including Michael Schumacher have used '1000 IQ' move at Monaco Grand Prix to 'guarantee' pole position
  • Most controversial F1 Grand Prix ever saw Michael Schumacher win after 14 cars pulled out of the race