The final phase of the season is upon us! With six Grand Prix races left on the calendar, both titles will be decided in the coming weeks. Mathematically, Ferrari, which is slowly moving up in the rankings, still has a shot at the coveted constructors’ title. According to Carlos Sainz, the upcoming races will determine whether the grand prize will indeed go to Maranello.
In recent weeks, McLaren has been steadily pulling ahead in the championship. Red Bull, on the other hand, has been stuck in second place and now has to worry about Ferrari, which has scored significantly more points than the Austrians in the last five Grand Prix races. The Italians only need to make up thirty-four points to secure the silver. According to Carlos Sainz, who knows that Ferrari will not introduce major upgrades during the upcoming GP in Austin, the title will be decided soon.
“Soon we will know if we actually have a chance at the constructors’ title,” he said on Thursday at a press conference. “If we continue to score as well as we did in Singapore, Baku, and Monza, I am convinced that we can win. However, Austin, Mexico, and Brazil are of course more standard circuits. If we fall back, like in Spa and Zandvoort, I have less confidence. It’s just hard to predict.”
No Upgrades
Ferrari, unlike many other teams, has not brought any major upgrades to Austin. According to Carlos Sainz Jr., the Scuderia first wants to evaluate its current performance. “Of course, we haven’t been idle,” the Spaniard said about the past three weeks. “Since Monza, our confidence in our previous upgrades has grown significantly. But until we’ve raced on a circuit like Austin, we simply don’t know how much we’ve actually improved. This weekend might be the most important test so far.”
The upcoming six Grand Prix are also Sainz’s last races with Ferrari; next year he will move to Williams and swap Maranello for Grove. What do the coming weeks look like for the Spanish veteran, and can he secure one more victory for the red team? “Nothing would make me happier,” he responded. “But on the other hand, I’m sure this won’t be the last time I can compete for podiums and victories, whether that’s with Williams or another team.”
