The Spaniard revealed he has no clear explanation for the issue. “I think it’s just bad luck,” he said. “It’s a mechanical failure. The driveshaft was completely new.
“On top of that, we had actually been driving very carefully for the last six or seven hours because both cars were in such a strong position and there was no need to take unnecessary risks. We weren’t abusing the kerbs, we were being careful – and it still happened.”
Juncadella also dismissed suggestions that occasional contact during the race, particularly the banging of wheels between Verstappen and Maro Engel in the #80 AMG around 3am locally, may have contributed to the problem.
“No, I don’t think so,” he replied when asked whether that could have been a factor. “That was many hours earlier. I think it would be too much to say it was caused by that. That’s motorsport. Unfortunately, it happened to us today, but I don’t think there’s anybody to blame.”
All in all, Juncadella described the retirement as “heartbreaking”.
“We had an amazing race,” he reflected. “We were actually driving a perfect race. I’ve been dreaming of winning this race for a long time.
“But in the end, we are just racing drivers. This is our sport and we love our sport. Racing is like that – there are many things you cannot control and sometimes it hurts. But it also doesn’t have to become a huge drama. We’ll come back next year.”
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