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MEXICO CITY — Carlos Sainz climbed atop his vibrant red Ferrari, spread his arms wide and raised his fists in the air.
The sentiment was clear. The Spaniard started the Mexico City Grand Prix from pole, and although he lost the lead to Max Verstappen, Sainz regained the lead and put together one of the strongest drives of his Formula One career. His race engineer, Ricciardo Adami, called Sunday’s performance a “masterclass” over the radio at the end of the race.
Sainz is the first driver to win the Mexico City GP in eight years and the first Ferrari driver to win the race since 1990, when Alain Prost achieved the feat. This season marks the first time Sainz has won multiple Grand Prix awards. Just 16 days after surgery I won a Grand Prix, first in Australia and now here in Mexico.
Ferrari wasn’t good enough to be in the constructors’ title race before the summer break, but recent upgrades have helped the Maranello-based team move up to second in the standings with four races to go. If things remain the same, it’s fair to say that Ferrari could be swept back into contention in 2025.
But there will be no Sainz.
Sainz said, “Honestly, I really wanted this piece. I needed it for myself, and I wanted to get it done.” “I’ve been saying for a while that I want one more win before I leave Ferrari, so to win here in front of this huge crowd is just amazing.
“Now there are four races left, and I want to enjoy it as much as possible, and if another race comes, I will definitely go.”
deeper
Mexican GP: Submit your question to the F1 mailbag.
How did the victory unfold?
Sainz had to work for his second win of the season.
Verstappen took the lead after the grid stormed into Turn 1, but that was no surprise. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a low-grip track and, as the Ferrari driver noted, Red Bull tends to start well at these circuits. Verstappen stayed inside Sainz heading into Turn 1 and although Sainz said he braked as late as possible, Verstappen did the same. This left Sainz with “no room for turn two.” Verstappen emerged as the early race leader.
An early crash between Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda left the grid sitting behind the safety car for several laps. Verstappen managed a successful restart, but Sainz stayed in the rearview mirror to ensure the Red Bull did not stray too far out of sight. He made his move on lap 9.
“With Max, you need to be decisive. You have to be decisive.” Sainz said. “Otherwise you would never get past him. And in that case, I think I was a little surprised and was able to catch it.”
With the help and tow of DRS, Sainz charged past the Dutchman to retake a lead that the Spaniard never relinquished. The Ferrari driver initially appeared too far behind to move, but in the final 100 metres, Sainz said: The car gave me the confidence to brake late, so I just went for it, and it happened. It’s also a mindset where you know you have a little less to lose in that fight and you can be aggressive.”
He described it as a moment of ‘high tension’ as a chaotic battle unfolded between Verstappen and Lando Norris in the background. As a result, the Red Bull driver received two 10-second time penalties, which he did during his first pit stop.
deeper
Max Verstappen’s Mexican GP penalty hurt. It doesn’t change the way he races with Lando Norris.
There were approximately 60 laps left when Sainz regained the lead. There was plenty of action throughout the race, such as Liam Lawson battling Sergio Pérez or Norris hunting down Charles Leclerc in the final laps. Ahead of them all, aside from the misfire report, it looked like a trouble-free race for Sainz. He said it was an “isolated incident.”
“The only misfire I had in the whole race was on the exit of turn three. I had a bit of a short shift as I landed over the curb and caught fire. It was a little scary, but that also happened on the weekend, and we know it’s because of the altitude and the mapping,” Sainz said. “But once I got to the front I trusted my speed and management and I knew I was very fast this weekend and I knew I had to do whatever I had planned and I knew a win was possible.”
Sainz regained the lead from Verstappen with a bold charge into turn one. (Mark Thompson / Getty Images)
Around lap 49, Sainz said over the radio that he felt Ferrari was pushing too hard. It was Prancing Horse 1-2 at the time and Leclerc was not far behind. However, the Monegasque driver lost his battle with Norris for second place. He lost his rear and nearly hit the barrier, making a last-minute save.
It might not have been a Ferrari 1-2 after all. But Leclerc, who qualified first and third and secured the fastest lap, did enough to start the team ahead of Red Bull in the standings. To be specific, it was a 25 point difference.
‘Perfect farewell’
Sainz admitted she cried during the Spanish national anthem at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Standing just below the podium were his parents, Carlos Sainz Sr. and Reyes Vázquez de Castro, and his partner, Rebecca Donaldson. His closest friends also attended the race weekend and everyone in attendance made the moment that much sweeter.
“It’s one of the best moments of my career. My mom had never won a race with me and the fact that she was coming here this weekend made me really want to win a race in front of her,” said Sainz. “Plus, the way the whole weekend went was perfect.
“It made everything a little trickier because I had to fight Max after losing the first time. “I think it probably tasted better because I worked hard.”
Sainz celebrated with his father, family and friends after the race. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
It’s been a long year for Sainz as well as Ferrari. In February, it was reported that Lewis Hamilton would join the team in 2025, with the 30-year-old losing his place despite being competitive among top teams. It was at the end of July that it was announced that Sainz would be heading to Williams Racing as they look to rebuild the team next season.
Ferrari, meanwhile, had started the season competitively but by the summer break had found itself in a tricky development process that left it behind McLaren and Mercedes. An upgrade was brought in at Monza and Leclerc won, but time will tell whether it is the right step forward. That confirmation came in Austin when Ferrari took a 1-2 lead and Leclerc won his third Grand Prix of the season.
Leclerc said a constructors’ championship was “realistically possible.” Ferrari is 29 points behind McLaren, which leads the pack with 566 points. But as Sainz points out, the team needs to remain consistent. Winning the Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 2008 is the perfect sendoff for Sainz.
“I think it could have been quite easy to get a little demotivated and lose the drive to make it happen, but the three-week break (after Singapore) helped me a lot,” Sainz said. “I regained some of the determination and drive I needed for the last five or six races of the season. And I’ve improved my driving ability and my confidence in the car, putting me in a position to get the win I didn’t get in Austin. Charles did a great job there. And I was going to put myself in a position to win here and not let this one slip out of my hands.
“It hasn’t been an easy year, but I’m proud of the way I’ve managed to get through it and now I’m just trying to help the team as much as possible to win this Constructor because this will be the perfect goodbye for me. “
(Top photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
