Sainz: “A tough race, very difficult”

Carlos Sainz, although the pole man of the Italian Grand Prix, finished third at the end of the race. Nevertheless, it was with a magnificent smile that he went through the traditional pre-podium interview. “It was a very tough, very difficult race. I pushed to the limit to keep the Red Bulls behind me. I pushed my tires and paid the price,” he admitted frankly. “I had to defend myself.”

If, on the fifteenth lap, he had to give in to Max Verstappen, the race was not over for him. Far from it! Because from the forty-third lap onwards, Sergio Perez was challenging him for second place. Twice, Checo found himself overtaking him by cutting the Rettifilo chicane, then he returned the position, as regulations required, before finally passing him cleanly on the forty-sixth lap.

Once behind the rival stable, Sainz had to fight against his own teammate, Charles Leclerc, so much so that on the forty-ninth lap he said over the radio to his engineer, “We’d better bring the cars home!” However, he didn’t let Leclerc pass, as the latter had just received instructions from his stable: “You can overtake if you want, but without taking any risks.” And it was finally after narrowly avoiding a collision that Sainz was able to, at last, reach the podium.

« It was a tough race, Charles is a great competitor, but it’s always a pleasure to fight against him,” commented Sainz, without any animosity.

For the Spanish driver, the essential is elsewhere « We are making progress on the tires, on the pace. This weekend we were the “best of the others” », he was satisfied. What reassures him after his scathing criticism of the Scuderia in the past?