In a DRS train behind Fernando Alonso, the battle broke out when Sainz attacked the Aston Martin driver on the outside of Turn 7, inviting Serigo Perez and Charles Leclerc to fight.
After Alonso suffered a puncture on contact from Sainz, with the pair touching at Turn 7 before the two pulled away after further contact at Turn 9 to allow Perez to fly over, there was an all-Ferrari incident at the Turn 14 hairpin when the duo appeared to come into conflict.
Both Ferraris reached the finish, Leclerc fourth and Sainz fifth, and the Monegasque made his feelings clear on the team radio just after the checkered flag.
“Let’s talk. We fight more… he fights me more than the others,” Leclerc said.
After the Chinese GP sprint, when asked if he felt Sainz’s defense against him had crossed a line, Leclerc replied Sky Sports F1: “I think so, but to be honest I have crossed a line myself in the past and when that happens we normally have a discussion, we clear things up.
“We’ve been through this in the past and it went very well so I’m not afraid that it will be the case this weekend as well. But he went a little over the limit.
“The contact between the two of us being in a different race situation, because I had saved quite a bit with the tires and had good pace at the end, so it’s a bit of a shame that we lost that gap to Perez and that we may” I will not surpass him.
“P4, it could have been P3, one point, we can always do better but we are going to concentrate on this afternoon because it will change the situation, make a good qualifying which was not the case for me during of the last few races.
Sainz said he was happy to apologize if his defense against Leclerc was considered too aggressive, explaining that his earlier fight with Alonso contributed to the problem.
“Behind Fernando I made a really good move on the outside of Turn 7 and from there he decided to go a bit all or nothing into Turn 9 which cost us all both racing,” Sainz said. Sky Sports F1.
“I suffered damage and a lot of dirt on my tires because of this optimistic gesture. From there I was sliding, the car was damaged and my tires were dirty.
“I was doing everything I could to defend and slide, so I might have had a little moment with Charles, but I apologize if I did anything over the line. But we all ran really hard today and I did my best to keep things under control.
Giving his views on the Sainz battle, Alonso added: “It was a tough race with a few corners parallel to each other, a wheel-to-wheel battle, and in the end someone has to retire.
“I left the line at turn 8 to avoid contact and he didn’t leave at turn 9 and we didn’t avoid contact.
“But in the sprint race there are only a few points at stake and our natural position is seventh or eighth so it’s not a lot of points. It’s a shame not to finish but we didn’t lost too many points.
Sainz and Alonso were investigated for their clash at Turn 7 which will be examined by the stewards ahead of qualifying for the Chinese GP.
In a DRS train behind Fernando Alonso, the battle broke out when Sainz attacked the Aston Martin driver on the outside of Turn 7, inviting Serigo Perez and Charles Leclerc to fight.
After Alonso suffered a puncture on contact from Sainz, with the pair touching at Turn 7 before the two pulled away after further contact at Turn 9 to allow Perez to fly over, there was an all-Ferrari incident at the Turn 14 hairpin when the duo appeared to come into conflict.
Both Ferraris reached the finish, Leclerc fourth and Sainz fifth, and the Monegasque made his feelings clear on the team radio just after the checkered flag.
“Let’s talk. We fight more… he fights me more than the others,” Leclerc said.
After the Chinese GP sprint, when asked if he felt Sainz’s defense against him had crossed a line, Leclerc replied Sky Sports F1: “I think so, but to be honest I have crossed a line myself in the past and when that happens we normally have a discussion, we clear things up.
“We’ve been through this in the past and it went very well so I’m not afraid that it will be the case this weekend as well. But he went a little over the limit.
“The contact between the two of us being in a different race situation, because I had saved quite a bit with the tires and had good pace at the end, so it’s a bit of a shame that we lost that gap to Perez and that we may” I will not surpass him.
“P4, it could have been P3, one point, we can always do better but we are going to concentrate on this afternoon because it will change the situation, make a good qualifying which was not the case for me during of the last few races.
Sainz said he was happy to apologize if his defense against Leclerc was considered too aggressive, explaining that his earlier fight with Alonso contributed to the problem.
“Behind Fernando I made a really good move on the outside of Turn 7 and from there he decided to go a bit all or nothing into Turn 9 which cost us all both racing,” Sainz said. Sky Sports F1.
“I suffered damage and a lot of dirt on my tires because of this optimistic gesture. From there I was sliding, the car was damaged and my tires were dirty.
“I was doing everything I could to defend and slide, so I might have had a little moment with Charles, but I apologize if I did anything over the line. But we all ran really hard today and I did my best to keep things under control.
Giving his views on the Sainz battle, Alonso added: “It was a tough race with a few corners parallel to each other, a wheel-to-wheel battle, and in the end someone has to retire.
“I left the line at turn 8 to avoid contact and he didn’t leave at turn 9 and we didn’t avoid contact.
“But in the sprint race there are only a few points at stake and our natural position is seventh or eighth so it’s not a lot of points. It’s a shame not to finish but we didn’t lost too many points.
Sainz and Alonso were investigated for their clash at Turn 7 which will be examined by the stewards ahead of qualifying for the Chinese GP.