Sainz starts the year 2024 under pressure to find a team for 2025 after being released by Maranello to make way for Lewis Hamilton. However, during the season opener in Bahrain, Sainz appeared unrestricted and had an admirable performance on the track. He surpassed his teammate, Charles Leclerc, to reach the checkered flag and achieved his 17th podium in his Formula 1 career.
On Friday, Sainz was surpassed by Leclerc in qualifying and started the Grand Prix from fourth place on the grid. He then lost a position to Sergio Perez from Red Bull, but managed to recover by skillfully overtaking his teammate and George Russell from Mercedes.
Throughout the race, Leclerc struggled with brake balance, but this did not diminish Sainz’s impressive performance. He stayed perfectly close to Perez in the RB20, finishing less than three seconds behind him.
Reflecting on his race, Sainz commented: “I believe it was a highly commendable race after a challenging start. I adapted to my own pace, knowing that I had strong race pace in testing, and found my rhythm. I started overtaking cars and managed to keep up with Checo, which was not easy due to the impressive pace of the Red Bulls and the strategic use of the new soft tires. I am very pleased with this encouraging start.”
Sainz was involved in an exciting battle with Leclerc on the track, which certainly caused some anxiety on the Ferrari pit wall. However, the Spaniard asserts that he will not hesitate to make a move, even if it means overtaking his teammate. He emphasized: “I will seize any opportunity to overtake, prioritizing safety and cleanliness, as I did today. Especially when I have a good pace and can extend my first pit stop, creating a tire advantage for myself. All my overtakes were executed cleanly, neatly, and safely, which aligns with my racing principles.”
Undoubtedly, Sainz’s performance in the 2024 Bahrain GP will increase his chances of securing a top team for 2025. When asked if he felt that way, he responded: “I have been in Formula 1 for nine years and in every race, I strive to demonstrate my skills to everyone. At the same time, after spending so many years here, everyone is aware of what I can achieve with the right working environment and tools to compete. As for my future, it is not something I am pondering at the moment; I only think about it during my free time.”
In addition, Sainz was awarded the Driver of the Day title after his impressive performance in Bahrain on Saturday.
