Sainz expected better performance in Las Vegas race
Starting from P2 on the grid, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had high hopes of challenging for the victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but he was left disappointed after unexpected tyre issues in the early stages of the 50-lap race.
Ferrari were favourites heading into the Las Vegas weekend, but they were caught by surprise on Thursday when Mercedes started to display a shocking performance.
The Scuderia managed to secure encouraging starting positions for the race, with Carlos Sainz taking second and Charles Leclerc fourth for the 50-lap Nevadan round. The Monégasque then had a brilliant start, jumping to second at the first corner while the Spaniard dropped to third.
Although the two Ferrari drivers appeared to be the quickest in the opening stages of the race, their tyre completely fell off the cliff on Lap 8 which forced them to pit for a new set of hards. However, their pace on the hards was impressive again and managed to salvage their day by climbing through the field to secure a third and fourth place for the Scuderia.
Although he finished on the podium, Sainz reckoned that he had expected his SF24 to allow him to fight for the victory on the Nevadan track where Ferrari excelled last season.
"Considering the pace Mercedes had today I think we maximised the team's points, and even without the misunderstanding at the pit entry on my second stop I don’t think we would have been able to stay ahead of Lewis.
"I was expecting to be more competitive after what we had seen in practice but we struggled quite a lot with graining today.Considering the pace Mercedes had today I think we maximised the team's points, and even without the misunderstanding at the pit entry on my second stop I don’t think we would have been able to stay ahead of Lewis.
"I was expecting to be more competitive after what we had seen in practice but we struggled quite a lot with graining today.We will keep fighting in the next races to keep the battle for the Constructors’ title open until the end. On to Qatar," said the Spanish driver.
