Carlos Sainz wins the 2024 System 1 Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, and at this level, Ferrari is as soon as once more combating for one thing vital. After years of seasons with lackluster endings, the Maranello crew is competing for the Constructors’ Championship for the primary time within the turbo-hybrid period, with solely 4 races remaining within the season. A situation that was exhausting to foretell a couple of months in the past, even for the incurable optimists. The engineers of the Prancing Horse managed to get the SF-24 again on monitor when it comes to improvement after shedding confidence because of the aerodynamic updates launched on the Circuit de Catalunya within the Spanish Grand Prix.
A ground design that utterly derailed the technical plan for the championship, throwing away not less than three months of the present System 1 season. Because the Italian Grand Prix on the Monza circuit, the Ferrari SF-24 automobiles have virtually all the time fought for victory with each drivers, on circuits with utterly totally different traits. This second consecutive victory in a busy triple-header allowed them to surpass the “derelict” Crimson Bull, which has been in free fall since Might, and it concurrently gave Ferrari the possibility to significantly goal on the standings devoted to the F1 constructors.
Though Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz don’t have any likelihood of competing for the drivers’ championship crown, as they’re too many factors behind the Dutchman Max Verstappen, they’re delivering really distinctive performances. Above even the rosiest expectations. Carlos Sainz was craving one final spotlight behind the wheel of the SF-24, and due to an impeccable Mexican weekend from the primary session onward, he managed for the primary time in his profession to win a couple of Grand Prix in the identical season. With urge for food rising as one eats, the Spaniard might win different races earlier than bidding farewell to the historic Maranello crew, fueling his need to enter Ferrari’s historical past.
The Spanish driver is conscious that, barring extraordinary surprises, the close to future won’t supply him the possibility to combat for victory. Alternatively, the present worth of Williams will not be a lot in the intervening time, and it’s unlikely to enhance to such an extent that it might enable a return to the highest. That is an additional motivation for Carlos Sainz to complement his file and to enter Ferrari’s historical past. Sure, as a result of successful the Constructors’ title with the Italian facet would enable the Spaniard to depart an vital mark on his work.
It could not be a private title to indicate off however a big legacy after 4 years of exhausting work within the crimson crew’s court docket. A type of tangible proof that the Maranello lineup might be thought-about the most effective on the grid, able to maximizing weekend race outcomes regardless of the the numerous ups and downs which have been encountered through the season. Frankly, the Spanish driver felt the blow. Being instantly relieved of his duties was a completely surprising situation. And exactly due to this, it hurts much more. And it couldn’t be totally different.
When the dream of Ferrari president John Elkann, and that of hundreds of thousands of followers, to convey Lewis Hamilton to Italy got here true, there was now not room for the Spaniard. However Carlos Sainz confirmed what resilience really means. He absorbed the blow, rolled up his sleeves, and by no means disparaged the Maranello crew that had fed him, regardless that he was primarily proven the door when a renewal appeared the probably situation. Certainly, the son of the two-time World Rally champion has grown in each respect in comparison with the younger man who joined Ferrari in 2021.
He has realized to win, to be sooner in qualifying, with among the finest within the discipline for single-lap efficiency on the opposite facet of the storage. Regardless of the pure rivalry with Charles Leclerc, their collaboration has been a useful asset for the Prancing Horse. Though the anticipation of Lewis Hamilton’s arrival in crimson is feverish, there’s a subliminal sense that, ultimately, Carlos Sainz would possibly genuinely have been able to assembly the Italian crew’s ambitions within the coming years. It is a sentiment shared by a good portion of the fan base.
Reality be instructed, a sensational return of Carlos Sainz can’t be dominated out.
On the finish of the 12 months, Ferrari and Carlos Sainz will due to this fact half methods virtually reluctantly, as each events have been happy with the skilled collaboration. On a couple of event, there was discuss of a attainable return to Maranello when Lewis Hamilton decides to hold up his helmet, a situation removed from unlikely. The final World Champion for the crimson crew, Kimi Raikkonen, who received the drivers’ title within the 2007 System 1 season, returned to the Italian automobile for beginning with the 2014 championship, resulting in a second sporting life that lasted one other 5 seasons.
Furthermore, each Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are demonstrating that, with the mandatory bodily preparation and satisfactory coaching, it’s attainable to be extremely aggressive even previous the age of 40 in right this moment’s System 1. This 12 months Carlos Sainz turned 30, and, age-wise, he can nonetheless race at excessive ranges for a lot of extra seasons. Within the meantime, he can solely look to shut his present journey at Ferrari in the easiest way attainable, aiming to help the Constructors’ Championship combat, a situation that might bind Carlos Sainz to Ferrari by an excellent stronger frequent thread than is already the case.
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