F1 News
Sainz explains brave maneouvre on Verstappen: 'It surprised him a bit!'
While most of the fans focused once again on the clash between title rivals Max Verstappen and and Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz's victory in Mexico should go under the radar. After not having the perfect start from pole position, the Spaniard could reovertake Verstappen, and managed to win his second Grand Prix in the current season. Sainz reacted to his maneouvre on the Dutchman following the Grand Prix.
"I felt like this weekend was going to be a very good opportunity to win that race," Sainz began at the press conference. "I had a very good feeling coming into the weekend. Also, obviously very determined to win it. I knew coming into it that we might have a chance to win. And I've been focused, been on it all weekend. On top of that, I knew my family was coming and my best friends, my girlfriend, a lot of people were here to support me."
Sainz on getting past Verstappen
Verstappen could get off the line better than Carlos Sainz in Mexico, but the Spaniard managed to retake the lead. After he found himself in P1 again, he did not look back again. "Probably catching him a bit by surprise because I was quite far back but before Turn 1 I got a really good tow on DRS, but I saw that I was probably going to be a bit too far back. But then right in the last 100 metres, 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," the Spaniard explained his overtake.
Thanks Sainz's second victory in 2024 and Charles Leclerc's third place in Mexico, Ferrari could earn 41 points in the constructors' standings this weekend, and now have overtaken Red Bull Racing as well. They are currently in P2 in those standings, 29 points behind McLaren.
This article was written in collaboration with Estéban den Toom
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