With the third-place finish at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir aboard the SF-24, Carlos Sainz has made it clear, if there was any doubt: this year he will be more determined than ever. Scuderia Ferrari will let him go at the end of the current season and in his place, a seven-time Formula 1 world champion, Lewis Hamilton, has been preferred, a choice that might be expected when faced with this possibility but one which certainly didn’t please the Spanish driver. Nevertheless, Carlos Sainz has pledged eternal love to the Maranello team despite everything.
The Spaniard’s career is at a crossroads: several opportunities await the former McLaren driver. He patiently observes the market, which was dormant until a few days ago but could erupt at any moment, perhaps with some unexpected twists in the mix. Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin, or Audi: all options are valid, more or less comparable. However, there is time because a driver like Carlos is certain to find a significant team capable of providing a competitive seat.
F1, Ferrari: Sainz will not be a complacent driver
One thing seems clear: Carlos Sainz will not play second fiddle to Charles Leclerc. In Bahrain, the Spanish driver demonstrated that he doesn’t hold back, especially when it comes to his Maranello teammate. After a winter of waiting for both regarding the contract renewal, as it was expected that both drivers would be retained by Ferrari, Carlos’s disappointment must be more pronounced than ever, inherent in every driver’s nature, and entirely understandable.
Yes, Carlos Sainz is a professional and will act as such when necessary. Still, at the moment, conditions are not ideal for him to make himself available for any team orders favoring the Monegasque, who is, in essence, the number one among Ferrari drivers at the moment. Seizing the opportunity, especially with Charles Leclerc’s issues in Bahrain, Carlos Sainz aggressively attacked him on the track more than once, shrugging off any concerns and sending a clear message to all.
Although we have seen it in the past, especially in 2022, Carlos Sainz has never felt like the second driver, even though the gap with Charles Leclerc was quite significant at times. In that season, skirmishes between the two were not uncommon, compounded by questionable decisions from the Ferrari strategists, such as in Monte Carlo and the Silverstone circuit. These decisions knowingly disadvantaged the Monegasque, who was at that moment, let’s not forget, in the midst of a championship battle and did a favor to number 55 (as well as Max Verstappen). Among them there was also a victory largely handed to him in the British Grand Prix, needless to say or think otherwise.
F1, Sainz: After Ferrari, it’s time to fight
The feeling is that Carlos Sainz will not wait for indications from his race engineer when finding himself in front or behind his Maranello teammate. When he has the opportunity to overtake him or defend against him, he will do so to the best of his abilities in order prove mainly three things: that Ferrari was wrong to let him go, that he is not inferior to his teammate and that he need to find a strong seat, preferably with Red Bull.
When Carlos Sainz runs calmly and with everything under control, he becomes a precise calculator, a skill we’ve seen in only a few drivers in the modern era (Jenson Button, to name one). The victory in the Singapore Grand Prix last year, the only non-Red Bull victory, showcases Carlos Sainz as an extraordinary driver. In those circumstances, having the composure to use an opponent’s DRS to defend against a car that was more performant at that moment is simply phenomenal. That’s what the Ferrari driver was in that fantastic victory.
Source: Andrea Bovone for FUnoanalisitecnica
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