Several weeks ago, Carlos Sainz was on the operating table undergoing an appendectomy. Last night, he raced his #55 Ferrari to victory, despite obvious physical pain. Formula 1 drivers are finally tuned humans. Their training regimen is rigorous and constant throughout the season. It must be in order for the drivers to be mentally and physically capable of managing their cars at high rates of speed against more G-forces than fighter pilots experience. Sainz was two weeks out of his routine, yet he wasn’t fazed. His performance is a testament to his tenacity as well as his skill on the racetrack.
Ferrari is closing the gap to Red Bull. Last year Ferrari consistently performed well on qualification, however their cars suffered from reliability issues. Additionally, the Ferrari’s wore their tires out too quickly to match Red Bull’s race strategy. This year Ferrari appears to have closed the gap on the reliability and the tire degradation issue, particularly on the tracks with longer straights. In past years, Ferrari consistently outperformed Red Bull during qualification on tracks allowing for more straight-line speed. This year, that speed is translating to race day.
Some might say that Max Verstappen’s retirement allowed Carlos Sainz to win. While that may be true, Formula 1 is a team sport that relies on a machine. Sainz started the race P2 next to Verstappen. When the race started, Verstappen quickly took the lead but failed to build on it. Sainz kept his Ferrari within half a second of Verstappen’s Red Bull, until he overtook Verstappen on lap three along the main straight. It wasn’t until lap four that Verstappen’s car failed him.
As early as lap two Verstappen was complaining that his car was oversteering. On lap three, he complained that his car was loose. His race engineers likely tightened up his front wing to help preserve the life of his tires. Whether that had an effect on his rear brakes catching fire or not is unknown. However, the first few laps highlights that Formula 1 is indeed a team sport, from the race engineers, to the pit crew, to the spotters and of course the driver.
Sainz put the pressure on the rest of the field by taking off, eventually gaining an eight second advantage on his teammate Charles LeClerc before LeClerc pitted. Sainz executed the classic Verstappen/Red Bull strategy. He drove to the front, leaving the field in the dust while managing his tires to the point that everyone else changes their tires before him allowing him time to pit and maintain his position.
It is astounding that Carlos Sainz does not have a ride. Ferrari made a perplexing decision to sign Lewis Hamilton to drive for them next year. Maybe it’s because Charles Leclerc is 26 and already has five Formula 1 victories. Maybe they decided to bring Hamilton in for marketing reasons. Perhaps they hope that Hamilton can teach LeClerc a thing or two and possibly revive his career in a better car. Whatever it is, Ferrari is losing an excellent number two driver in Carlos Sainz.
Sainz has the right attitude about the whole thing. He has raced for Red Bull, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari. He has a strong racing pedigree. His father is a two-time World Rally Champion. Earlier this year Carlos Sainz Sr. won his fourth Dakar Rally driving the Audi RS Q e-tron. At 61 years of age, he is the oldest Dakar Champion in history. Carlos Sainz Jr. is likely receiving wise counsel from his father. At 29, Sainz is concentrating on the moment, and enjoying the rewards of is focus. He may make Ferrari regret their decision to let him go…especially if he returns to Red Bull.