Carlos Sainz admits he’s scuffling with conflicting feelings regarding his and Ferrari’s kind earlier than he leaves the crew, after taking pole place on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton will exchange Sainz subsequent season after Ferrari signed the seven-time world champion in the beginning of the 12 months, with the Spaniard heading to Williams. With 5 races remaining, Sainz delivered two wonderful laps to qualify on pole place in Mexico and proceed Ferrari’s current good run, however he admits the actual fact he believes he can struggle for such outcomes persistently till the top of the 12 months is a bittersweet feeling.
“Very candy, given how good the automobile is, how nicely I’m driving not too long ago, [I am] very optimistic going into the final 5 races,” Sainz mentioned. “On the similar time bittersweet as a result of it provides me the sensation that Ferrari is perhaps within the struggle for the world championship subsequent 12 months and I received’t be there to make use of it.
“I really feel like I’ve been fairly an enormous a part of this crew in the course of the 4 years attempting to arrange the crew to struggle for that championship subsequent 12 months. The truth that I’m driving nicely, being quick with the automobile, and I’m leaving in 5 races, leaves me a bit… I don’t know easy methods to say it, however not with an excellent feeling.
“However it’s what it’s. I’m going to try to win extra races, stand on the rostrum for so long as I can for these 5 races, get pleasure from that, after which we are going to take into consideration subsequent 12 months.”
Each of Sainz’s Q3 laps had been adequate for pole place in Mexico as he beat Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, and he says getting the primary try proper allowed him extra margin on the second run.
“They had been two actually good laps, and the actual fact the primary lap was so good and a lot away from the sphere allowed me to take even additional dangers,” he mentioned. “In Q3 [on the final run] I added a little bit of entrance wing as I had nothing to lose and to see if I added a little bit of entrance finish to the automobile I’ll go even faster. However that’s what occurs when the primary lap is so good.
“The primary lap of Q3, I didn’t take many dangers with the Flip 2 curb, attempting to avoid monitor limits, whereas within the second lap I knew the primary is perhaps sufficient for pole and I simply tried to maximise the monitor limits and it gave me a tenth totally free which I saved for the remainder of the lap.
“Two good laps, particularly if you see the fellows behind me, with Lando, Max and Charles [Leclerc], to be 0.2-0.3s clear, it have to be some fairly stable laps.”
Leclerc led residence Sainz in a dominant Ferrari one-two final weekend in Austin, and Sainz believes he has each likelihood of constructing it back-to-back victories for the Scuderia, so long as he can retain the lead in the beginning.
“I’m comparatively assured as a result of I do know my race tempo ought to be good tomorrow,” he mentioned. “Most likely the largest issue would be the run down into Flip 1 and beginning pole with the slipstream. I feel you possibly can nonetheless defend, you possibly can nonetheless make it stick into Flip 1, beginning pole, and that will likely be my aim tomorrow.
“I simply want to verify I do a superb 0-100 [mph], which is a very powerful factor if you begin on pole, simply ensure you do a superb bounce. From there, clearly do one of the best I can to defend.
“I’ve two guys behind combating for fairly vital issues tomorrow and the run right down to Flip 1 ought to be fascinating. I’ve clearly much less to lose in that sense and I’ll strive and ensure I hold P1.”
