Sainz keeps an eye on those around him: 'We're fighting many cars'
F1 News
Carlos Sainz will start tomorrow's Las Vegas Grand Prix from second on the grid, and the Spaniard reflected on his performance in the post-race press conference. Qualifying was highly competitive, and the Ferrari driver highlighted the fact that many cars will be fighting for victory in Sin City tomorrow.
Sainz: 'We are genuinely fighting for the win'
Sainz wants to finish his Ferrari career in style before he heads to Williams in 2025. With two wins in Melbourne and Mexico City this season, Sainz hopes for a third in Las Vegas. Also, the Scuderia are in the midst of a constructors championship battle. If Ferrari were to win it, Sainz would leave Maranello with his head held high. In the post-session press conference, Sainz discussed his chances of winning the Grand Prix behind polesitter George Russell. "I think we are genuinely fighting for the win with Mercedes tomorrow. They went through a run of winning, I think, three consecutive races in mid-season. And whenever they get it together, they are very, very fast and the fastest, like they've shown today. So I think we're definitely going to fight George," said Sainz, who also takes into account Max Verstappen.
Behind Sainz, Pierre Gasly impressed by putting his Alpine in third place. Sainz's teammate Leclerc starts from fourth, and championship leader Max Verstappen starts from fifth, who mustn't be ruled out. "Max. Maybe with his higher downforce car, he can take better care of the tyres and the graining. And then suddenly, he can get in the mix also. So I think we're fighting many cars," Sainz continued. If Max Verstappen can finish ahead of sixth-placed Lando Norris, the Dutchman will win his fourth consecutive title.
Sainz: 'It's the beauty of Formula 1'
Whilst battling Red Bull Racing, McLaren and Mercedes, Sainz managed to put his car on the front row of the grid. He's, of course, happy with himself and the fact that Formula 1 has become so exciting for teams and drivers in recent times. "I think that is the beauty of Formula 1 nowadays is that we went into this qualifying with four teams being capable of taking pole position, four teams capable of winning tomorrow, if you put everything together, and that's a great thing for everyone I think," Sainz concluded.
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This article was written in collaboration with Jeroen Immink.