Sainz breaks the big door

Sainz breaks the big door
Sainz breaks the big door

Who knows what Hamilton will do with the Ferrari next year, that's another movie with other protagonists. But This is what Sainz does: winning the Mexican GP, ​​overtaking Verstappen with a true lesson in contained aggression, all after leading the time table on Friday and the grid on Saturday and giving an almost perfect weekend on one of the most uncomfortable circuits on the calendar. This is also what Maranello gives up in 2025. Let them take away what he danced. Carlos crossed under the checkered flag and furiously celebrated his fourth victory in . May it not be the last one with Ferrari. Not the last one.

It cannot be described as a calm Sunday, because turn one of the Hermanos Rodríguez concentrated, as always, more tension than many classic summer races. Carlos was defending pole, his start was not bad (Norris, third, started as is) but Verstappen's (2nd) was better. Lando locked himself in and didn't take advantage of the slipstream, but Max attacked the interior as usual and left Sainz with no room. The man from Madrid was smart, as he opened the track on the grass and missed the curve (he would have lost many positions otherwise). When he returned to the asphalt he gave the first place to Max and waited for his moment. Then the mess had to be cleaned up: Tsunoda and Albon had a violent clash at the same exit that forced the exit of the safety car.

Departure from the F1 2024 Mexican GP.Henry RomeroREUTERS

Already at the start, Sainz went all out for Verstappen as soon as he could open the DRS and finished off with an overtake at the height of the dam. He approached the end of the straight on lap nine and threw the car inside at the last moment, forcing Max to alter his line. Carlos withstood Verstappen's attack in the chicane and sealed the door on the inside of the corner of turn three, pure class, pure passion. Norris was third and saw him a few meters away. Lando thus overtakes without giving the most aggressive driver on the grid the option of a reply.

It's a pity that the fight was blurred when the McLaren stalked the Red Bull. Norris tried the same maneuver but 'Mad Max' closed well and sent him racing through the grass. It's fair to say that this time the Dutchman didn't go too hard, in fact he drove inside the track at all times. But Lando did not want to give him back the position and Max took justice into his own hands: He overtook him banzái style in turn seven (Leclerc easily overtook both, second place as a gift), both off the track, and shortly after received a double penalty of ten seconds for the work as a whole. The FIA ​​wants to put out the fire now.

From there, little happened. Leclerc timidly squeezed Sainz and opened the DRS until Carlos told his team over the radio what they were playing. Soon, it was Charles who had to get up to manage the temperatures because of his bravado. All wheel changes were clean and Sainz was left with a clear front to do 'lift and coast' and pamper the Ferrari until the finish line. If Australia's victory tasted like revenge against their team, this one has the aftertaste of an emotional vindication against the entire F1. His father and mother traveled with him. There goes a big driver, through the big door, although to a small team. Time will give and take away reasons from those who made that decision. Meanwhile, Mr. Elkann, present in Mexico, is getting the facts: with Piastri and Pérez's bad weekend, Ferrari is stalking the constructors' title.

It was not a double because Lando found another flan defense in his favor, that of Leclerc, who lost control of the car on the parabolic at the end of the 63rd lap and surrendered second place. As Verstappen saved the ballot after the harsh penalty (he was 6th), The Englishman cuts ten points and is 47 with four races and two sprints ahead (120 points at stake). Careful. Meanwhile, Checo crowned his terrible home race with a penalty for starting poorly that nullified any attempt at a comeback. Alonso, for his part, abandoned his 400th F1 grand prix at the first opportunity due to a brake failure.

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