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MEXICO CITY — Carlos Sainz climbed on prime of his vibrant purple Ferrari, spreading his arms broad earlier than elevating his fists within the air.
The feelings had been evident. The Spaniard began the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix from pole, and although he misplaced the result in Max Verstappen, Sainz regained first and put collectively one of many strongest drives of his Method One profession. His race engineer, Ricciardo Adami, known as Sunday’s efficiency “a grasp class” over the radio on the finish of the race.
Sainz is the primary driver to win the Mexico Metropolis GP from pole in eight years and the primary Ferrari driver to win the race since 1990 when Alain Prost achieved the feat. This season is the primary time Sainz has received a number of grands prix — the primary in Australia 16 days after surgical procedure and now right here in Mexico.
Ferrari wasn’t adequate to be within the constructors’ title battle earlier than summer time break, however its latest upgrades have helped push the Maranello-based staff to second within the standings with 4 races to go. It’s honest to say that Ferrari might be within the combine once more in 2025 if issues keep the course.
But it surely’ll be with out Sainz.
“Truthfully, I actually wished this one — I wanted it for myself, I wished to get it finished,” Sainz mentioned. “I’ve been saying for some time I wished another win earlier than leaving Ferrari, and to do it right here in entrance of this mega crowd is unimaginable.
“Now 4 races left, I wish to take pleasure in as a lot as potential, and if one other one comes, I’ll go for it.”
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How the victory unfolded
Sainz needed to work for his second victory of the season.
Verstappen took the lead after the grid barreled in the direction of Flip 1, although that wasn’t stunning. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a low-grip monitor, and because the Ferrari driver famous, Pink Bull tends to begin properly at these circuits. Verstappen stayed on the within of Sainz heading into Flip 1, and although Sainz mentioned he braked as late as he might, Verstappen did the identical. This left Sainz with “no area to enter Flip 2.” Verstappen emerged with the early race lead.
Due to the early collision between Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda, the grid settled behind the security automotive for a number of laps. Verstappen nailed the restart, however Sainz stayed in his rearview mirrors, by no means letting the Pink Bull stray too far out of sight. He made his transfer on Lap 9.
“With Max, you might want to be decided. You’ll want to be decisive,” Sainz mentioned. “In the event you’re not, you’re by no means going to cross him. And in that case, I believe I caught him a bit unexpectedly, and I might make it stick.”
With some assist from DRS and a tow, Sainz lunged previous the Dutchman to re-secure a lead the Spaniard by no means relinquished. The Ferrari driver initially appeared too far again to make the transfer, however within the last 100 meters, Sainz mentioned, “I felt like I had a great momentum, and I’ve been feeling very assured braking into Flip 1 this weekend. The automotive has been giving me confidence to brake late there, and I simply went for it, and it occurred. Additionally, this mentality of figuring out I had a bit much less to lose in that battle and that I might be aggressive and ship one.”
He described it as a “excessive stress” second as a result of a chaotic battle unfolded between Verstappen and Lando Norris behind him. It resulted within the Pink Bull driver receiving two 10-second time penalties, which he served on the primary pit cease.
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As soon as Sainz regained the lead, roughly 60 or so laps remained. Loads of motion unfolded all through the race, like Liam Lawson battling Sergio Pérez or Norris searching Charles Leclerc in these last laps. Forward of all of them, it seemed to be a reasonably problem-free race for Sainz apart from the report of a misfire. He mentioned that was an “remoted incident.”
“The one misfire I had all race was on the exit of Flip 3. Touchdown after the curb, I did slightly quick shift and it gave me a misfire, which was a bit scary, however we’ve had them throughout the weekend and we all know it’s as a result of altitude and the mapping,” Sainz mentioned. “However as soon as I used to be within the lead, I used to be trusting my tempo, my administration, and I knew this weekend I’ve been very fast, and I knew I simply needed to do no matter I had deliberate, and the win was potential.”
Sainz retook the lead from Verstappen with a daring lunge into Flip 1. (Mark Thompson / Getty Pictures)
At round lap 49, Sainz additionally raised over the radio that he felt Ferrari was pushing too arduous. It was a Prancing Horse 1-2 on the time, and Leclerc wasn’t far behind. The Monegasque driver, although, misplaced second in a battle with Norris. He misplaced the rear and practically hit the boundaries, saving it on the final second.
It could not have been a Ferrari 1-2 ultimately; nevertheless, the primary and third-place finishes, plus Leclerc securing the quickest lap, was sufficient to launch the staff forward of Pink Bull within the standings — a 25-point result in be particular.
‘The proper goodbye’
Sainz admitted he shed a tear because the Spanish nationwide anthem performed in celebration at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Slightly below the rostrum stood his mother and father, Carlos Sainz Sr. and Reyes Vázquez de Castro, and his companion, Rebecca Donaldson. His finest associates additionally attended the race weekend, and all these current made this second that a lot sweeter.
“It’s top-of-the-line moments in my profession. My mother had by no means been current on a race win with me, and the truth that she was coming right here this weekend, I wished actually to win a race in entrance of her,” Sainz mentioned. “On prime of that, the best way the entire weekend panned out, it was simply good.
“Dropping firstly after which having to battle again with Max simply made all the pieces a bit extra tough. In all probability makes it style even higher as a result of I needed to work arduous for it.”
Sainz celebrated along with his father, household and associates after the race. (Jared C. Tilton / Getty Pictures)
It has been an extended yr, not only for Ferrari but additionally for Sainz. Information broke in February that Lewis Hamilton would be a part of the staff in 2025, leaving the 30-year-old and not using a seat regardless of being aggressive among the many prime groups. It wasn’t till late July that the announcement got here that Sainz would head to Williams Racing subsequent season, a staff making an attempt to rebuild.
In the meantime, Ferrari began the season competitively earlier than falling into a tough growth stretch that noticed it drop behind McLaren and Mercedes by summer time break. It introduced upgrades in Monza, and Leclerc received, however time would inform if it was a correct step ahead. That affirmation got here in Austin when Ferrari went 1-2, with Leclerc profitable his third grand prix of the season.
Leclerc mentioned that the constructors’ championship is “realistically potential.” Ferrari is 29 factors behind McLaren, which leads the standings with 566 factors. However as Sainz famous, the staff will should be constant. Successful the constructors’ championship for the primary time since 2008 can be the right sendoff for Sainz.
“I believe it might have been fairly simple for me to lose a little bit of motivation and to lose a little bit of the drive to make it occur, however these three weeks of break (after Singapore) served me properly,” Sainz mentioned. “I managed to regain a little bit of the willpower and the drive that I wanted for these final 5, six races of the season. And I managed to place myself ready with bettering my driving, my confidence with the automotive, to place myself ready to, first, win in Austin that I didn’t make it occur — Charles did an incredible job there — and put myself ready to win right here and this one I used to be simply going to ensure it doesn’t slip from my palms.
“Not a simple yr, however happy with the best way that I’ve managed to maintain myself in it and clearly making an attempt to assist the staff now as a lot as I can to win these constructors as a result of it could be the right goodbye for me.”
(Prime photograph: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Pictures)
