F1
Carlos Sainz, 3rd in Las Vegas: "We maximized the team's points"
Carlos Sainz 3rd in Las Vegas - Photo: Joao Filipe / DPPI
Touted as the team to beat heading into Las Vegas, Ferrari finally hit a snag in Nevada. The Mercedes proved invincible in the streets of Vice City, securing a double. The Prancing Horse's single-seaters had to settle for third and fourth place, Carlos Sainz finishing ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc.
« Given Mercedes' pace today, I think we maximised the team's points, and even without the misunderstanding on pit entry during my second stop, I don't think we could have stayed ahead of Lewis, Sainz believes. I expected to be more competitive after what we saw in testing, but we struggled a lot with the graining today. We will continue to fight in the next races to keep the battle for the constructors' title open until the end. Off to Qatar. »
« First of all, congratulations to Max Verstappen for its title, adds Frédéric Vasseur, team principal of Scuderia Ferrari. Regarding our race, we struggled a lot in the first stint on mediums, losing about two seconds per lap towards the end and again at the end of the second stint, the first on hards. Overall, our pace on hards was okay, but we lost too much time in the early stages and our pace was generally a bit too inconsistent. Ultimately, today's race was about damage limitation, but at some point we have to score more points than everyone else and we can't just be content with that damage limitation if we want to keep the fight open. We scored 12 points more than McLaren and 16 more than Red Bull. Let's see what we can do next week in Qatar, a track that on paper doesn't suit us the best, but on which there is a Sprint and therefore even more points to be won. As a team, we have to do a better job in the next race. »
Ferrari will arrive in Qatar with a 24-point deficit over McLaren and a 29-point lead over Red Bull. While the Drivers' Championship was decided on the streets of Las Vegas, everything remains to be played for among the constructors.
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Valentin GLO
Journalist. Endurance reporter (WEC, IMSA, ELMS, ALMS) and sometimes F1 or IndyCar.
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Yves-Henri RANDIER
25/11/2024 at 12:28 a.m.
As someone who has been a Ferrarist since 1969, I always refrain from making such harsh judgments about the Scuderia drivers. One thing is certain: "Sir Gold Lives Matter" is a seven-time world champion but on a downward slope, whatever he says, and his expiration date obliges him, while Leclerc is a "simple" GP winner, anointed by the Scuderia and the Italian public, waiting to become World Champion in his turn because he is not yet at the peak of his career. Maybe in 2025?
Checkered flag
24/11/2024 at 10:39 a.m.
but he gets angry, he says
Ludo
24/11/2024 at 09:13 a.m.
I'm the one who's going to laugh, pro Ferrari since 1999, the Monegasque is going to complain to his buddy Vasseur so that Lewis lets him pass! The difference between the two is that one has 2 titles and the loser 7... Even if I'm not a Hamilton pro, the Englishman is going to eat the Monegasque because the latter has proven nothing so far, he should never have been at Ferrari, it was the regretted Jules Bianchi who would be in his place at the moment. And Leclerc's brother is as bad as his brother Jules.
Red
24/11/2024 at 06:31 a.m.
I can't wait to see your tears of blood next year Ludo that in Leclerc will give Hamilton a wank
Ludo
24/11/2024 at 04:03 a.m.
Sainz, owes nothing to Ferrari or Leclerc, they fired him like a dirty person! I can't wait for Lewis to give Leclerc, an overrated driver, a good thrashing, who should have been fired instead of Carlos Sainz.
Yves-Henri RANDIER
24/11/2024 at 03:48 a.m.
Sainz Jr believes that Ferrari could not have done better in Sin City! He is wrong: it was possible to do better by reversing the positions so that Leclerc scores more points in the fight for the vice world champion title without it changing anything at all in the Scuderia's score!