While Williams celebrated their best result of the season so far, their two drivers were in very different moods.

Alexander Albon was positively jubilant about spending the entire race within sight of the podium. But Carlos Sainz Jnr was plainly unhappy that his team mate had passed him when he thought they had been told to hold position.

After requesting help from his team mate, Sainz’s race engineer Gaetan Jego told him: “Alex has been instructed.” When Albon sailed past him at turn 11 moments later Sainz fumed: “You told me he’s been told.”

Jego could only repeat “I know” and tell his driver: “I know Let’s be the bigger one, okay?”

Sainz was still unhappy about the situation after the chequered flag and made his feelings clear to team principal James Vowles. But was Albon within his right to reclaim a position from his team mate after being passed earlier on? Here’s how the critical moments unfolded.

Albon and Sainz’s radio messages from their position swaps

“I touched with Alex”
“Remember what we discussed”
“Check front-right tyre quickly”
“What’s the plan here because we’re just losing time?”
“You told me he’s been told”
“You made me lose three-tenths extra”
“I’ve lost a lot of confidence here”

“I touched with Alex”

The race nearly came to a disappointingly early end for both drivers. Sainz had to take evasive action at turn three when Lando Norris rejoined the track ahead of him, and made contact with his team mate as Albon came around the outside.

Fortunately for the team, both drivers avoided serious damage, but both were immediately anxious over the state of their cars.

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Lap: 1/57 ALB: 1’38.782, SAI: 1’39.731
Albon	Just check for damage, rear-right.	Sainz	I touched with Alex.
Urwin	Tyres are okay, aero is okay. Looks okay from our side.	Sainz	Check front left.
		Jego	We’re checking, you’re good on front-left. Checking front wing.
		Jego	Need an update on the front wing.
		Sainz	Happy. All good.
		Jego	Pressures still okay. Front wing okay on our side. There’s a yellow flag, turn one, potentially debris. Potential debris, one, into turn one, turn four. Norris ahead 0.4, Leclerc behind 0.6. We’re still on the same race.
Lap: 2/57 ALB: 1’53.640, SAI: 1’55.407
Albon	Have a look over the pit wall, I’ll come close to you.	Sainz	I feel very low, low rear grip.
Urwin	Yeah, copy that. Still VSC. Albon does not drive close to the pit wall as he passes	Jego	VSC, VSC. Go AC, go AC. Stay out, stay out. Doohan stopped right hand side turn 14. Work the front and repeat your feedback, please.
		Sainz	Yeah I felt very low rear grip.
Lap: 3/57 ALB: 2’03.540, SAI: 2’01.936
		Jego	Doohan car is going behind the barrier now, I’ll let you know. Expect rain around lap 12, VSC ending, VSC ending. Go race, restart around braking zone turn 17. It’s okay for the restart. Restart, restart, DRS enabled. Norris 0.6, Leclerc 1.2.

“Remember what we discussed”

Having dropped behind Albon at the start, Sainz’s race engineer reminded him about a pre-race agreement relating to whichever of their cars was running behind the other. Exactly what that referred to was only implied by this radio message, but shortly afterwards, Sainz passed Albon:

Lap: 4/57 ALB: 1’33.079, SAI: 1’32.521
		Jego	Alex first car ahead 0.8. Remember that’s our race. Second car, remember what we discussed this morning. Leclerc 1.2.
Lap: 5/57 ALB: 1’33.836, SAI: 1’32.332
Albon	Are we sure we don’t have damage?	Jego	On that rain it will hit turn 17 first. Sainz passes Albon approaching turn 11
Urwin	Looks okay on our side. We took photos from the pit wall. Sainz passes Albon approaching turn 11	Jego	No overtake available. Gap at 0.9, Norris ahead 0.9. with DRS.
Urwin	Suggest green three-10. Feedback on what you feel, try and help.
Albon	I feel oversteer, understeer. Honestly, not really that clear to me.
Lap: 6/57 ALB: 1’33.206, SAI: 1’33.317
		Jego	Closing lap five. 52 to go…
		Sainz	Interrupting Less radio Gaetan. Leave it to me, please.

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“Check front-right tyre quickly”

A day earlier, Sainz had taken himself out of the sprint race by hitting the barrier at the inside of turn 14. He flirted with danger again in the grand prix, clipping the wall at turn 12, but this time he got away with it:

Lap: 7/57 ALB: 1’32.982, SAI: 1’33.029
		Sainz	Sainz appears to glance the barrier on the inside at the exit of turn 12 Check front-right tyre quickly. Front-right, check.
		Jego	Front right currently okay, pressure’s okay. Remember Russell ahead on hard. Still happy with the front wing. Front-right pressure’s still okay.
Lap: 8/57 ALB: 1’33.117, SAI: 1’33.230
		Jego	Closing lap seven, 50 to go. Pressures are okay.
Lap: 11/57 ALB: 1’33.569, SAI: 1’33.652
Albon	Closing on Sainz Early overtake available. Does not have DRS.	Jego	Sainz closes on Russell at turn 17 Don’t have any other overtake available.
		Sainz	Russell moving under braking.
		Jego	Okay.

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“What’s the plan here because we’re just losing time?”

While Albon started the race on a new set of medium tyres, Sainz was running a used set, as Williams fitted his last fresh set during the sprint race in an apparent error. Sainz dropped back from George Russell after lap 10 and Albon drew within range.

That prompted messages from both drivers. Albon asked his team what they planned to do next, clearly wondering whether a position swap was on the cards, while Sainz implied they should hold position.

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Lap: 12/57 ALB: 1’33.515, SAI: 1’33.379
Urwin	We’re going to get low in the pack.	Sainz	Starts defending from Albon Let’s go forward, guys. We’re compromised in the race here. Let’s get into our rhythm.
Albon	Looks at Sainz at turn 11, who defends Can we just wait because…
Urwin	Yeah, let’s get the pack back…
Albon	We’re losing battery here.
Urwin	Yeah, copy, pack’s low. Leclerc 0.8 behind. Try and get the anti where we can. Radio’s on. Yeah, copy.
Lap: 13/57 ALB: 1’33.031, SAI: 1’33.044
Albon	What’s the plan here because we’re just losing time?	Jego	Agreed, and being discussed. Closing lap 12, 45 to go.
Urwin	Yeah I’m working on it, and on the weather as well.	Jego	Alex 0.7. Russell last lap 32.8.
		Jego	Feedback on tyres and flap.
		Sainz	Yeah, my front-right is obviously down on grip. But the rest of the tyres are fine, it’s just the front-right.
		Jego	Feedback on flap when you can.
		Sainz	I could do with a bit of help from Alex.

“You told me he’s been told”

To Sainz’s obvious frustration, Albon passed him soon afterwards. Moments earlier, the team warned Albon he was concerned about his water pressure, but moving into clearer air ahead of his team mate seemed to alleviate the issue.

Sainz’s race engineer tried to placate his obviously unimpressed driver.

Lap: 14/57 ALB: 1’32.701, SAI: 1’33.614
Urwin	Alright, Alex, we’re managing a water pressure issue with you. You need to maintain a gap of at least a second for the car ahead, short term.	Jego	You are mode six level. Alex has been instructed. Gap 0.5. Russell last lap, 32.8. Rain is slowing down, may miss us. Albon passes Sainz at turn 11
Albon	I’m about to overtake him, so…	Sainz	You told me he’s been told.
Urwin	Okay, come on then. Albon passes Sainz at turn 11	Jego	Okay. Let’s have head down. Use DRS, Leclerc one. Be clever. 44 to go.
Lap: 15/57 ALB: 1’32.968, SAI: 1’33.538
		Jego	Clever. Stay within DRS, please.
		Sainz	Yeah but come on.
		Jego	I know, I know. I know, I know. Let’s be the bigger one, okay?
		Jego	Leclerc one-zero without DRS.
		Jego	Mode seven and use anti as you are within DRS to recharge. Mode seven and use anti. Leclerc 1.1, no DRS.

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“You made me lose three-tenths extra”

Sainz’s frustration grew after he cut the turn 14-15 chicane in front of Charles Leclerc. While he felt he backed off sufficiently to avoid a penalty, Jego pressed him to give up more time:

Lap: 16/57 SAI: 1’32.915
Jego	Sainz cuts the chicane at turn 14-15 Leclerc 1.8, I think he made a mistake, his last lap 33.4. Russell still in 32.8.
Lap: 17/57 SAI: 1’32.857
Jego	‘Track limit, first strike, then 15, one-five, turn 15 track limit first strike.
Jego	Leclerc 1.8, closing lap 17, 40 to go.
Lap: 18/57 SAI: 1’33.257
Jego	Okay Carlos, can you please lose three tenths to your gap to Leclerc following that cutting the chicane. Leclerc gap 1.8, let’s bring that back to 1.5 please.
Sainz	Yeah, I backed off at the exit of 16 when I cut 15. The stewards should look at it. But I’m doing a big [lift and coast].
Jego	We’d like to do more. Lose another three tenths in that section, please. Three tenths. Leclerc currently, 1.9. You have the pace to stay ahead.
Sainz	Okay now.
Jego	Gap 1.6, gap 1.6, thank you.
Sainz	You made me lose three-tenths extra. I already backed off in 16.
Lap: 19/57 SAI: 1’32.546
Jego	Leclerc, 1.8, you’re quicker than him, it was 33.0. Alex, 32.6.

Sainz impressively got ahead of Leclerc after the Ferrari driver appeared ahead of him following a Virtual Safety Car period. But he lost the place – and another to – Lewis Hamilton – after a further VSC period.

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Lap: 29/57 SAI: 2’05.347
Jego	As close to the delta as possible, Leclerc pit under VSC.
Sainz	He will come out ahead, no?
Jego	Safety car ending, restart, exit of turn 17, go ‘race’ now, get ready for restart, all the pace you can.
Jego	Go ‘race’, go ‘race’, green green green green, go ‘race’. Leclerc emerges from the pits ahead of him.
Lap: 30/57 SAI: 1’31.546
Jego	More energy. Sainz passes Leclerc on the inside of turn one
Lap: 31/57 SAI: 1’32.773
Jego	Leclerc 0.6, turn on the pack. It’s only to turn 11.

“I’ve lost a lot of confidence here”

Williams team principal James Vowles congratulated Albon on his second fifth-place finish of the year. However he also indicated to Sainz he understood his concerns about how the team handled the race.

Chequered flag
Urwin	Alright there buddy, P5, lovely job.	Sainz	He moved a bit under braking there, I don’t know if that is legal. He completely moved left when I went left.
Albon	Go on! Yes!	Jego	P9 for you Alex P5. Was good to see us fighting Ferrari and Antonelli. I know we were expecting to, hoping to, finish better but that was a strong race. A lot of things to learn. Some things to discuss.
Urwin	Makes up for yesterday. Mega P5 today.	Sainz	That’s not how I go racing, guys. I don’t care. I’ve lost a lot of confidence here on everything.
Albon	Yeah sorry about yesterday guys. What a way to come back. Well done.	Vowles	Yeah Carlos noted. We’ll discuss this in the room but I agree with you we need proper engagement on it. For the time being well done for picking up points. You had damage to the car we’ll take you through but well done for recovering as much as possible.
Vowles	Alex, really, really impressive drive. This is just making amends. We’ve got a fast car, we’re moving forward. We win and lose together. Really proud of you today. You were the fastest car on track, I think, for the last few laps, so brilliant, brilliant stint. Well done.	Sainz	Thank you.
Albon	Yep, well done everyone. I don’t know the last time I’ve seen the podium from a full race stick before, so thank you, we’re progressing.

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