Carlos Sainz says Las Vegas will be « more favorable to Ferrari than McLaren »
Ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Ferrari drivers assessed their chances of closing the gap on their rivals in an attempt to score points. The Italian team is currently second in the constructors' championship, with 36 points separating them from leader McLaren.
With three races remaining, McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull are still in the race for the constructors’ title. McLaren took the lead in the constructors’ championship from Red Bull during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September. However, a series of strong performances from Ferrari have allowed them to overtake Red Bull for second place at the Mexican Grand Prix, thus launching their pursuit of McLaren.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz tempered expectations ahead of the Las Vegas weekend. “I think the atmosphere is very calm,” said the Monegasque about the state of mind at Ferrari, as the team aims for a first constructors’ title since 2008. “Everyone is very calm, and it’s a very good thing. It wasn’t like that a year or two ago. The atmosphere was very different. We were very excited or affected by what was happening. This is no longer the case today.”
(e) I feel that we are much stronger as a team and we do not let our emotions take over. We simply try to remain consistent, and Fred is the one we have to thank for that. We stay pretty calm and focus on one step at a time, solving one problem at a time. We have a race to win this weekend, and we will do our best to achieve it.
Carlos Sainz optimistic
With cool temperatures predicted in the Nevada desert, for the qualifying and evening race sessions, Carlos Sainz predicted that this could play a decisive role in the weekend’s outcome.
« Looking at the layout of the circuit, one could say that yes, Ferrari should be competitive, or at least in the fight, the driver said at a press conference. « But when we take into account the temperatures and we know how much we sometimes struggle to heat the tires this year, then it’s not certain. There are therefore two factors. We will see how they interact and who will be the most performing this weekend.»
Carlos Sainz added: “I think we are within reach, but at the same time, we need McLaren to make some mistakes,” regarding the constructors’ title.
« If they make no mistakes from now until the end, no matter if we win and finish second in each race, I think McLaren will probably be able to keep the advantage. There are also two circuits [in Qatar and Abu Dhabi] that suit McLaren better than Ferrari. This one is more favorable to Ferrari than McLaren, but at the same time, the temperatures are not, so we will see how it goes.
