Carlos Sainz said his drive to seventh in China proved to Toro Rosso he was not "mad" or "stupid" after deciding to start the race on dry tyres.
Out of 20 drivers on the grid Sainz, starting 11th, was the only one not to take the green-striped intermediate tyre at the beginning, opting instead for the super-soft. Though the track was drying, it did not appear ready for slick tyres and Sainz soon spun as he tip-toed through the opening sequence of corners, but the Spaniard soon jumped up the order as an early Virtual Safety Car period prompted a flurry of stops from cars ahead.