Carlos Sainz happy to have ‘surprised’ Max Verstappen by clinching the lead at Mexican GP
Carlos Sainz details his lap 9 overtake on Max Verstappen at the Mexican GP, catching the Dutchman by surprise.
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Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)
Carlos Sainz jumped into the heated battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris and clinched the victory in Mexico. The Spaniard had an incredible weekend, especially in qualifying, where he secured pole for Sunday’s race.
Despite losing his lead to Verstappen, who started second, the Spaniard surprised the Dutchman by overtaking him again and securing the win. On the opening lap at the AHR circuit in Mexico City, the 27-year-old overtook Sainz, but the lead didn’t last long.
The Spaniard reclaimed the top spot on lap 9 and held it to the finish, securing his second win of the season. Carlos Sainz explained that his perfectly timed DRS overtake surprised Max Verstappen. Even though he was not very close to Verstappen, he made the move, catching the 27-year-old off guard.
Probably catching him a bit by surprise because I was quite far back, but I saw that I was probably going to be a bit too far back.
Carlos Sainz said, as reported by GPblog.com
Sainz’s second victory of 2024 was a result of Ferrari‘s strong performance at the high altitude in Mexico City. He capitalized on the team’s strong engine and braking package, as well as effective tire management and strategy.
The last 100 meters gave him confidence as he was in momentum and the car was very supportive from a braking perspective. This let him keep going until the end of the 71-lap race and ultimately help placing the Maranello second in the constructors’ standing.
But then right in the last 100 meters, I felt like I had a good momentum and I’ve been feeling very confident braking into Turn 1 this weekend. The car has been giving me good confidence to brake late there and I just went for it and it happened.
Carlos Sainz stated
Carlos Sainz claims he sensed the victory before coming into the weekend
F1 driver’s families often attend races, providing support and motivation as they watch their loved ones compete live. Similarly in Mexico City, Carlos Sainz’s family was present to support him along with his girlfriend and friends from Spain.
The Spaniard explained that he sensed the victory was coming this weekend as he was very determined and focused. Ferrari’s power unit played a key role in Sainz’s victory as it showed how they improved from earlier this season.
I had a very good feeling coming into the weekend. Also, obviously very determined to win it…, my family was coming and my best friends, my girlfriend, a lot of people were here to support me.
Carlos Sainz said
In Mexico City both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc secured podiums just like in Austin and in total scored 41 points for the team. This moved them to second place in the constructors championship, leaving Red Bull in third place.
The Italian team needs 29 points more to be at the top of the table and become the third leader after McLaren. The season remains with only four races and two sprints so they’ve got ample time to capitalize on more points.
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)