Sainz earns the lowest step of the podium in Las Vegas. A complicated race that however saw the Spaniard obtain the best possible result. Finally, a lot of tension at the finish line with Leclerc, with the latter who let himself go with a few too many outbursts on the radio towards the Spaniard.
Podium in Las Vegas for Sainz after last year's manhole
Last year bad luck had a great impact on Carlos Sainz here in Las Vegas. This year, however, it seems that the Spaniard has managed to free himself from its grip, which in the 2023 edition had presented itself in the form of a manhole. Leaving the past behind, the 55 of the Ferrari confirmed over the past weekend in Nevada that he has a good feeling with the track, re-establishing himself among the contenders for victory after a Brazilian GP that was nothing short of disastrous, especially from a constructors' perspective. Not only that, Sainz is demonstrating race after race that he still has a great hunger for success, trying to partially tone it down before having to say goodbye to Ferrari. In fact, let's hope that the Spaniard hasn't stopped to look at the performance of Williams, his future team.
A passion, fueled by the end of his adventure in red, which this year has led Sainz to sign his best season in Ferrari. At the same time, however, in the hope of obtaining the maximum, things do not always go smoothly, especially when Leclerc is involved. It must be said, however, that in the years spent in Maranello, despite various frictions that have occurred, the relationship between the two has always been good, despite the fact that on the track they have often faced each other head on. We saw the precedent during the sprint in Austin, with Sainz who overtook Leclerc while the latter was trying to attempt a more cautious approach with the tires.
Leclerc and Sainz: the critical moment after the second pit stop
Today the script repeated itself. After a start complicated, which had seen Sainz let himself be passed by Leclerc's Ferrari, the Spaniard before switching to the Hard tyres overtook the Monegasque, who had perhaps asked too much of his medium tyres in his attempt to overtake Russell. For the rest of the race Sainz stayed ahead of his teammate until the frantic moment of the second pit stop. After a misunderstanding on the pit wall, which cost him three seconds and the concrete risk of a penalty that would have put an end to the fight in the constructors' standings, Carlos Sainz remounted the hard tyres for the final stint of the race. Leclerc then also stopped to complete the same operation.
When the number 16 returned to the track he found himself in front of his teammate, who in the meantime had warmer tyres. Now, we know from the words of Leclerc's engineer, Bozzi, that the team had asked Sainz not to overtake him, in order to allow the Monegasque to manage the introduction of the hard tyre on the track with the necessary graduality. This did not happen, with Sainz who at the first available opportunity overtook Leclerc, with the latter bitter on the radio with his engineer: "next time tell him in Spanish".
Sainz on the complicated Las Vegas race: “It was a damage limitation race”
In short, not an easy situation to manage on the track for the Ferrari pit wall, with contrasts that will have to be smoothed out in the hours following the race. Everything seems to have, as mentioned, been played out after the second stop, with Sainz trying to give Mara Sangiorgio's microphone his version of the facts. “I don’t want to look for culprits. This is not the time to judge, we need to understand. I had already wanted to pit for two laps, I know that Leclerc was coming and was faster. I wanted to let him pass and Hamilton was coming too. It would have been difficult then. We didn’t pit and I was out for two laps. Even on the lap I wanted to pit there was confusion. Things didn’t go well for me. They didn’t go well for Charles. It wasn’t a good situation but it wasn’t easy to manage. That’s why I prefer to analyse it later and not speak to the microphones.”.
A confusing escalation born from the first stint on medium tyres, which saw the drivers suffer a lot, with the exception of the two Mercedes. In fact, even Sainz was surprised by the pace and wear he had at the start of the race.I expected to go fast with the mediums, but they lasted 8 or 9 laps. From that moment it was a damage limitation race for me. I didn't feel comfortable in the car, I wasn't strong. I would have liked to be faster so I could fight with George, but today we simply didn't have the potential. So today we take home a third place, which is not enough for what we expected but it's the best we could do.".
Sainz on Leclerc: “We have been fighting together for years”
In short, Sainz, and Leclerc, did what they could today. It's a shame that there was unnecessary tension after the race. The unpredictable pace of the race led the drivers and the team to make mistakes. Among all, the delay that the pit wall took in calling Sainz to the pits, even making him leave the lane while he was coming back because the mechanics were not ready. The Spaniard was lucky because he should have incurred a penalty. Only the imaginative interpretation of the race director saved him, reading the event not as dangerous driving but as track limits, as the pit lane in Las Vegas is near the corner before the finish line. Then, anyone who has watched F1 for years knows, it is difficult to ask a driver with hot tires, as Sainz was, not to overtake a driver who has just left the pits with cold tires, as in the situation Leclerc found himself in.
On the contrast with his teammate Sainz he left nothing out, or almost nothing. Perhaps a bit of bitterness shown on the microphone Sky of Sangiorgio, as the latter told him that she had spoken to an angry Leclerc.I agreed with him not to say anything to the media. It's between him and me. I never turn on the radio, I never talk to the media. It's not a nice thing to do.“. Previously, however, Sainz had also tried to downplay the incident before the lavish podium party.It's been like this for years. Charles and I are wheel to wheel every two or three races. Because we share the same piece of asphalt, we are both competitive and have a similar pace.".
