Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the win at the Japanese Grand Prix, but all eyes were on Ferrari as the Scuderia drivers rose to the challenge of Suzuka and brought in a 3-4 finish, solidifying their place as the second-fastest team on the grid.
Carlos Sainz, a man who has lost his seat for next season, had an incredible race as he fought his way through Lando Norris’ McLaren and the different tire strategies that made the race incredibly interesting. The varying temperatures and wind also made life more difficult for the drivers, but the Spaniard was able to manage his tires, minimise mistakes, and take his SF-24 to a well-deserved podium finish.
“I had a good race,” he said in the post-race interviews with F1, quoted by Sky Sports F1. “I’m very happy because it was quite tough out there with the degradation but then the clouds came and the degradation went a lot lower and I thought one-stop was quicker and we were on the two.
“I had to overtake a lot of cars out there. Overtaking was tricky, like always at Suzuka, you need to nail the last chicane to get a good run into Turn One. I could finish my moves but it was tough out there.”
A difficult pit stop placed him behind Norris and his teammate, Charles Leclerc, but with the newer rubber and a fire in his belly, Sainz quickly dispatched the Papaya driver and the Monogasque – an impressive feat on the Japanese track and with cars which are producing more and more dirty air.
“I thought it was on but thought it would be very difficult to get back into third given how tricky it was to overtake the Mercedes in the second stint and how difficult it was to follow.
“I knew I needed a very big delta to approach Lando and Charles. In the end, we managed it. I was quick on the hard tyre. I really liked how the hard tyre gave me a feeling to push and I got the moves done and got the podium.”
Sainz, lacking points from missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, now firmly sits behind Leclerc in the standings with only points separating the drivers. And the success seen by the Scuderia so far this season puts them only 21 points behind the Milton Keynes squad. It’s clear that Red Bull has a clear lead over the scarlet cars, but there are signs that this season could become very exciting.
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