The watching world realized what the 2024 season meant for Carlos Sainz Jnr when Ferrari made its bombshell announcement that he would lose his seat to Lewis Hamilton on the finish of the 12 months. Already a a number of race winner, Sainz was now on the driving force market.
Sainz made a robust begin to this significant 12 months. He began the season on the rostrum with solely the dominant Crimson Bulls forward of him. After an appendectomy compelled him to overlook spherical two, Sainz returned in model to win the Australian Grand Prix. In Japan he once more accomplished the rostrum behind the Crimson Bull drivers.
He wasn’t capable of maintain that type towards a staff mate of Charles Leclerc’s high quality. Sainz adopted Leclerc dwelling in Shanghai, Miami (the place he was penalised for colliding with Oscar Piastri) and Imola. Whereas Leclerc received in Monaco, Sainz was extremely lucky to achieve the rostrum, because the purple flag on the primary lap erased the implications of one other tangle with Piastri (he loved an analogous get-out-of-jail-free card after crashing in qualifying at Shanghai).
At occasions it felt just like the strain of the driving force market scenario was taking a toll on Sainz, notably in his eagerness to place one over Leclerc. The pair had a number of run-ins over the course of the 12 months, notably in Spain and Las Vegas, although within the latter case Ferrari’s administration of their drivers was questionable.
Carlos Sainz Jnr
| Greatest | Worst | |
|---|---|---|
| GP begin | 1 | 20 |
| GP end | 1 (x2) | 18 |
| Factors | 290 | |
Throughout the center a part of the season, when Ferrari briefly misplaced their means with the SF-24, Leclerc normally confirmed Sainz the way in which. Nevertheless Sainz picked up an opportunistic third place in Austria and confirmed nice really feel for the altering circumstances at Silverstone. The identical couldn’t be mentioned for his performances within the rain-hit races in Canada and Brazil, which have been simply his weakest weekends of the 12 months.
Sainz ended the season in higher form. He ought to have joined Leclerc on the rostrum in Baku the place he went out in a late collision with Sergio Perez, then accomplished a Ferrari one-two in Austin. He grabbed his probability to take a classy closing win for Ferrari in Mexico, and pushed Lando Norris onerous within the season finale as Ferrari fell brief of their bid to beat McLaren to the constructors’ title.
It could be a while earlier than Sainz can have a automotive that enables him to struggle on the sharp finish once more. However his 2024 efficiency ought to go away nobody in any doubt that he deserves one.
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