7 . CARLOS SAINZ
Wow ! What a race , I just don ’ t have words to describe it ! On the grid I said I wanted to start the race on slick tyres and everyone thought I was completely mad ! It sounds like a funny moment now , but when everyone took the blankets off the tyres and my race engineer told me that we were the only ones the supersoft tyre I doubted my decision … When you ’ re on the grid , about to start a race , and you take a tough decision , there ’ s a lot of weight on your shoulders , knowing that you might have blown away a good result for the team … but I then said to myself , c ’ mon trust yourself , it ’ s the right thing to do ! I knew the start and the first four corners were going to be very tricky – and they certainly were ! – but from Turn 6 onwards the track was fully dry and I felt confident – the gamble definitely paid off ! But the result isn ’ t only thanks to this decision ; it ’ s also down to the pace that we showed in damp conditions . After the Safety Car , I saw myself catching Ferrari , Red Bull and Mercedes in front and I got super excited ! It was just an incredible race , I felt so comfortable in the car and to finally cross the line in P7 is a great result – I ’ d like to thank the team for the whole weekend , we can all be very happy !