Carlos Sainz ‘over the moon’ after milestone Singapore GP win, claims Ferrari’s race execution was perfect

Carlos Sainz took Ferrari's first win in 2023 at the Singapore GP.

Carlos Sainz ‘over the moon’ after milestone Singapore GP win, claims Ferrari’s race execution was perfect

Carlos Sainz celebrating his victory at the Singapore GP (image via IMAGO)

The Singapore GP provided some of the most thrilling action this season. Carlos Sainz took home a staggering victory at the Marina Bay Circuit after fending off three cars on the last lap. The Spanish driver led the race from pole position and stayed put despite stiff competition. Now, Sainz shared his feelings on taking Ferrari’s first win in 2023.

The Spanish driver was delighted with his second-ever win in Formula 1. Carlos Sainz thanked the entire Ferrari crew for the hard work put in throughout the weekend. The 29-year-old praised the team for getting everything right at the Singapore GP. He said, “An incredible feeling, and an incredible weekend. I would like to thank the team for the hard work turning this around. We did a good weekend, and we did everything right today, and we won.”

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Sainz reckoned that millions of Ferrari fans would be happy with the team’s first win, including Maranello. The 29-year-old stated, “Everyone will be happy at Ferrari and in Italy.” The 29-year-old seemed to be the happiest he has been as he ended Max Verstappen‘s record-breaking winning streak. Carlos Sainz expressed, “I’m over the moon right now.”

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Carlos Sainz shed light on the stint on hard tires. The Spanish driver admitted that it was difficult to manage the pace at the end of the race. However, the Ferrari driver succeeded in keeping his lead courtesy of giving DRS to second-placed Lando Norris to fend off the two Mercedes. The 29-year-old continued, “Given our limitations with tire wear, I knew it would be a long [final] stint on hards. It worked to perfection. We gave Lando some DRS to help him and we got the P1.”

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Carlos Sainz felt under control despite a four-car battle for the lead

During the ending stages of the Singapore GP, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton charged for the win with new tires. The two Mercedes had closed up to Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. However, the Silver Arrows could not change the race leader, with Russell crashing out on the final lap. Sainz claimed that his plan to defend the lead was successful.

Carlos Sainz at Singapore, (Credits: @Halyma221/Twitter)
Carlos Sainz at Singapore (Credits: @Halyma221/X)

The 29-year-old reckoned that he managed to keep the situation under control despite facing immense pressure from the cars behind. Sainz’s strategy of giving DRS to Lando Norris worked wonders as the McLaren managed to keep second place by the end of the race. He concluded, “I felt under control to be honest, I had the head space and the pace in hand to do what I wanted to do.”

Thus, Carlos Sainz finally broke Red Bull’s dominant run in 2023. The Spanish driver became the first non-Red Bull driver to stand on the top step of the podium in 2023. Certainly, this will be a major morale boost for the 29-year-old as he tries to solidify his position in Maranello. Although, it remains to be seen if Sainz can carry this momentum throughout the season.

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