Sainz reflects on 'Bittersweet' Ferrari pole at Mexico GP
MEXICO CITY – With departure imminent, Carlos Sainz secured pole position at the Mexico Grand Prix, embodying the adage of finishing strong. This latest pole position, marking Sainz's sixth in his Formula 1 career, comes amid a notable upturn in Ferrari's performance, but carries a bittersweet sentiment for the outgoing driver.
In a thrilling Q3 session, Sainz outperformed Max Verstappen by a notable 0.2 seconds, highlighting his skill and the car's newfound competitiveness as Ferrari intensifies its challenge in the constructors' championship. This resurgence comes on the heels of Charles Leclerc’s victory in the Italian Grand Prix in September and a dominant one-two finish in Austin.
However, Sainz is grappling with complex emotions as he anticipates leaving Ferrari at the end of the season to make way for Lewis Hamilton. Speaking on the mixed feelings his pole position evoked, Sainz stated:
"Very sweet, given how good the car is, how well I'm driving recently, it is very optimistic going into the last five races. At the same time [it is] bittersweet because it gives me the feeling that Ferrari might be in the fight for the world championship next year and I won't be there to use it. I feel like I have been quite a big part of this team during the four years trying to prepare the team to fight for that championship next year, you know?"
Ferrari's progress this season places them in third in the constructors' standings, trailing McLaren by 48 points and Red Bull by just eight. As the championship battle heats up, Sainz is keen to make the most of his remaining races with the team.
"The fact that I'm driving well, being fast with the car, and I'm leaving in five races, leaves me a bit... I don't know how to say it, but not with a very good feeling. But it is what it is. I'm going to try and win more races, stand on the podium for as long as I can for these five races, enjoy that, and then we will think about next year."
With Verstappen and Lando Norris starting between him and his teammate Leclerc, the race dynamic is intense, particularly with the drivers’ title at stake. Sainz is optimistic that the competition among his rivals might aid him in maintaining his lead down the critical stretch to Turn 1.
"Relatively confident because I know my race pace should be good tomorrow. Probably the biggest difficult thing will be the run down into Turn 1 and starting pole with the slipstream. I think you can still defend, you can still make it stick into Turn 1, starting pole, and that will be my goal tomorrow."
"I just need to make sure I do a good zero to 100, which is the most important thing when you start on pole, just make sure you do a good jump. From there, obviously do the best I can to defend. I have two guys behind fighting for quite important things tomorrow and the run down to Turn 1 should be interesting. I have obviously less to lose in that sense and I will try and make sure I keep P1."
As Sainz approaches the final races with Ferrari, he remains committed to seizing the opportunity to perform at his best, aiming to leave an indelible mark with the iconic team before moving on.
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