In the first round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, the Bahrain Grand Prix, behind the (perhaps expected) Red Bull one-two finish, it was Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz who emerged as the best of the rest. Starting from an uncomfortable fourth position, behind his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc, he gradually built up his race with maturity, a quality that distinctly characterizes him. Taking advantage of the Monegasque’s brake issues, he finished just behind the Milton Keynes team.
Moreover, the Spaniard was relatively close to Sergio Perez, showing that Ferrari, at least against the Mexican, has its chances of fighting.
Italian former Formula One driver Ivan Capelli, who participated in 98 Grands Prix, commenting on the race for Sky Sport Italy, praised the performance of car number 55. “Carlos Sainz was solid, as usual. He found his rhythm, managed the tires well, and made a decisive, clean overtake on Charles, true competitive racing. He proved that when he’s up against a human driver, like Sergio Perez, he can stay close, finishing just a few seconds behind.” – said Ivan Capelli, who raced for Ferrari in the 1992 Formula 1 championship.
Vicky Piria, the Italian-British racing driver who currently races in Formula Renault Eurocup and W Series, echoed her Sky Sport Italy colleague: “It almost seemed like a one-make race. When the gap is so narrow, it’s difficult to overtake; there are a thousand aids like DRS, but tire degradation was the same for everyone. But let’s not forget that overtake by Carlos Sainz on Charles Leclerc, which was very nice. He braked at the last moment, didn’t overshoot, and left the minimum space, really millimetric. Carlos Sainz showed that the car is there, maybe not to beat Max, but to put Sergio Perez under pressure.” – she concluded at the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
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