For a moment, it seemed as if Carlos Sainz would secure the pole position on the chilly street circuit of Las Vegas. However, George Russell managed to beat the Spaniard’s time at the last minute, dashing Sainz’s hopes. Despite this, after the qualifying session, Sainz still sees a chance to vie for victory during the race. The Spaniard states that his team also needs a win to beat McLaren in the constructors’ championship.
Carlos Sainz had to watch as George Russell snatched the pole position from him at the last minute in the Las Vegas qualifying session. Nevertheless, the Spaniard is satisfied with second place, especially considering the cold street circuit posed a significant challenge in terms of tyre management.
“It was a tough qualifying session,” the Ferrari driver sighed immediately after the session. “I was closer to the pole position than I expected. I’m very happy about that. We’re starting in a good position for the race. I had P2 last year as well, but then I had to start further back because of the infamous manhole cover. Now I can really start from P2.” Last year, Sainz faced a grid penalty after his Ferrari car was severely damaged by a loose manhole cover.
“We must have the confidence that we can fight at the front tomorrow, even more than today,” Sainz continues his analysis. “We have a chance to go for the win, and that is, of course, the goal. Mercedes was really flying in sector one today, and we were catching up as the round progressed. Tomorrow is a clean slate, and we’ll see how the car feels.”
Need for Victories
Ferrari is currently 36 points behind the leader in the constructors’ championship, McLaren. Therefore, Sainz is asked whether he will race for his own victory or for as many points as possible for Ferrari. “I really think we need victories to beat McLaren, we can’t afford to just finish ahead of them. It’s a big gap in the championship. After this, we’re going to Qatar, and that’s not a good track for us. We need to win. So I don’t really need to change my approach.
