Sainz calls for Safety Car solution: 'It's like driving on ice'

Carlos Sainz has called for Formula 1 and the FIA to find a solution to the slow speeds under Safety Car, after the tricky conditions experienced during the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

In the opening stages of the race drivers were sliding around as they attempted to reheat their tyres, which was compounded by the Virtual Safety Car.

Lando Norris lost control of his car shortly after the race resumed under green flag conditions, impacting heavily into the barriers at Turn 12.

This brought out the full Safety Car, with a second appearing later on in the race following contact between Max Verstappen and George Russell.

"Turn 1 during the Safety Car restart was like driving on ice," Sainz told media, including RacingNews365.

"We need to find a solution to make the Safety Car a bit quicker in these certain scenarios.

"I cannot explain how it feels to go 340kph and knowing that when you're going to hit the brake the thing is not going to stop. So very tricky."

Sainz: You don't expect it to be so bad

The current Safety Car duties are split between a Mercedes AMG-GT Black Series and Aston Martin Vantage.

They are the fastest Safety Car's F1 has ever had, having been brought in a response to concerns over drivers in previous years over the pace behind them.

Sainz continued by describing the conditions in the car, with drivers struggling to generate heat into the brakes due to the long straights at Las Vegas.

"You never expect it to be so bad. I just touched the brake not even hit it, and the tyres were locked. I didn't even brake that late as well, around the 100m board," explained Sainz.

"But arriving 100kph slower than on a qualifying lap, and the cold tires probably also played a role.

"It was absolutely shocking on Lap 1 and I think we all struggled with it."