Carlos Sainz’s superb weekend at the Mexico City Grand Prix offered a reminder of his supreme talent, but also the “baffling” reality that the Spaniard is almost certain to be missing from the battle for victories next season.
Sainz delivered a near-faultless showing in Mexico to ease to pole position on Saturday, before calmly overcoming being passed by Max Verstappen at the start to take a comfortable win in Sunday’s race.
The victory was his second of the season and the fourth of his career, but the emotional celebrations that followed suggested it held extra significance with it potentially being his last for Ferrari.
Sainz has just four more races with the Scuderia before being replaced by Lewis Hamilton for 2025, a move that was confirmed in February before the start of the current season.
The question of where Sainz would go next wasn’t answered until late July, when he decided to join Williams after they emerged as surprise contenders to sign him.
After a promising 2023 campaign, Williams have failed to make progress this year, at least in terms of results, as they sit eighth in the Constructors’ Championship with just a three-point lead over Alpine behind them.
In contrast, Sainz appears to be in the form of his life, and could have easily had back-to-back victories with a bit more fortune, having produced an impressive showing a week earlier in Austin to seal a Ferrari one-two behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Speaking after Sainz took pole on Saturday, Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok said: “He’s been on top form, both in Austin and here. He was unlucky with the fuel leak, so he had to manage the race in Austin.
“It’s still baffling that he’s not going to be in a top four seat next year.
“The guy is delivering at the absolute top level at this stage. It is baffling but a stunning job by him.”
‘A shame Sainz won’t be at Red Bull or Mercedes’
Sainz was heavily linked with both Mercedes and Red Bull before eventually signing for Williams, with his decision suggesting that neither of the front-running squads ultimately made him an offer.
Mercedes opted to replace Hamilton with Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who will drive alongside George Russell next year.
Red Bull got themselves into a tangle by offering Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez a mid-season contract extension that they would now appear to regret given the Mexican’s dismal form.
While having a driver of Sainz’s quality alongside Verstappen would be an enormous upgrade, the understanding in the paddock is that the Dutchman’s camp would not have been keen on seeing the pair’s Toro Rosso partnership of almost a decade ago restored.
Chandhok added: “If you think of that equation of a midfield team, which is what Williams are at the moment, and the sort of driver they’ve managed to attract from a top team – it’s very rare.
“It’s a massive coup. James Vowles and the team have done a brilliant job to get him there, but I still feel it’s a little bit of a shame that we’re not going to see him in a Red Bull or a Mercedes next year.”
Sainz opens up on ‘bittersweet’ Ferrari success
Ferrari’s back-to-back wins have seen the Italian squad surge back into contention for the Constructors’ Championship, with leaders McLaren just 29 points clear going into this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
With the sport’s regulations not changing until after next season, Ferrari’s strong late-season form suggests they could have a 2025 car that will give Leclerc and Hamilton an opportunity to contend for the drivers’ title.
While Sainz is enjoying being able to go out on a high, the fact he will miss out on a potential championship shot is not lost on the 30-year-old.
“(It’s) bittersweet because it gives me a feeling Ferrari might be in the fight for the world championship next year and I will not be there to use it,” Sainz said in Mexico.
“And I feel like I’ve been quite a big part of this team during the last four years trying to prepare the team to fight for that championship next year, and the fact that I’m driving well, being fast with the car and I’m leaving, definitely leaves me a bit… I don’t know how to say it, but not with a very good feeling.”
Sainz admitted after the race that the dynamics of his situation have been “challenging” and that the three-week break before the ongoing Americas triple header helped him regain focus.
“It’s been a strange year in that sense, and also quite a challenging one.
“I think it could have been quite easy for me to lose a bit of motivation and to lose a bit of the drive to make it happen, but those three weeks of break served me well.
“I managed to regain a bit of the determination and the drive that I needed for these last five, six races of the season.
“Not an easy year but proud of the way that I’ve managed to keep myself in it and obviously trying to help the team now as much as I can to win the constructors’ title, because it would be the perfect goodbye for me.”
‘People won’t forget’ – Hill says Sainz has ‘left his marker’
Former world champion Damon Hill believes that Sainz’s recent form will ensure a return to the front of the grid at some point, whether that’s with an improving Williams or another move further down the line.
“Carlos did a great job,” Sky Sports F1 pundit Hill said.
“There’s no question he’s left his marker, and people won’t forget that. It’s going to be difficult though when he’s at a team that isn’t as capable.”
While Hill says Williams, the team with whom he won his 1996 drivers’ title, should not be discounted, the Brit suggested Sainz should be keeping his options open for the future.
“I always thought that Carlos would be brilliant at Mercedes,” Hill added. “I think he’s just the sort of driver they need. But then they have their own plans, and that’s how it goes.
“Let’s not discount Williams. They are making progress but it’s a long road ahead I think for Carlos.
“I hope he’s got an option in his contract to jump if he needs to.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Sao Paulo GP schedule
Thursday October 31
4pm: Drivers’ Press Conference
Friday November 1
2pm: Sao Paulo GP Practice One (session starts at 2.30pm)
4.30pm: Team Principals’ Press Conference
6pm: Sao Paulo GP Sprint Qualifying (qualifying starts at 6.30pm*)
Saturday November 2
1pm: Sao Paulo GP Sprint build-up
2pm: Sao Paulo GP Sprint
3.30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
5pm: Sao Paulo Qualifying build-up
6pm: Sao Paulo GP Qualifying
8pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday November 3
3.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Sao Paulo GP build-up
5pm: THE SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX
7pm: Chequered Flag: Sao Paulo GP reaction
8pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1’s Americas triple header concludes this weekend with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
