The watching world discovered what the 2024 season meant for Carlos Sainz Jnr when Ferrari made its bombshell announcement that he would lose his seat to Lewis Hamilton on the finish of the yr. Already a a number of race winner, Sainz was now on the driving force market.
Sainz made a robust begin to this significant yr. He began the season on the rostrum with solely the dominant Purple Bulls forward of him. After an appendectomy compelled him to overlook spherical two, Sainz returned in type to win the Australian Grand Prix. In Japan he once more accomplished the rostrum behind the Purple Bull drivers.
He wasn’t in a position to maintain that kind in opposition to a staff mate of Charles Leclerc’s high quality. Sainz adopted Leclerc house in Shanghai, Miami (the place he was penalised for colliding with Oscar Piastri) and Imola. Whereas Leclerc received in Monaco, Sainz was extremely lucky to succeed in the rostrum, because the crimson flag on the primary lap erased the implications of one other tangle with Piastri (he loved an analogous get-out-of-jail-free card after crashing in qualifying at Shanghai).
At occasions it felt just like the strain of the driving force market state of affairs was taking a toll on Sainz, notably in his eagerness to place one over Leclerc. The pair had just a few run-ins over the course of the yr, notably in Spain and Las Vegas, although within the latter case Ferrari’s administration of their drivers was questionable.
Carlos Sainz Jnr
Finest
Worst
GP begin
1
20
GP end
1 (x2)
18
Factors
290
In the course of the center a part of the season, when Ferrari briefly misplaced their manner with the SF-24, Leclerc often confirmed Sainz the best way. Nevertheless Sainz picked up an opportunistic third place in Austria and confirmed nice really feel for the altering circumstances at Silverstone. The identical couldn’t be stated for his performances within the rain-hit races in Canada and Brazil, which had been simply his weakest weekends of the yr.
Sainz ended the season in higher form. He ought to have joined Leclerc on the rostrum in Baku the place he went out in a late collision with Sergio Perez, then accomplished a Ferrari one-two in Austin. He grabbed his likelihood to take a trendy closing win for Ferrari in Mexico, and pushed Lando Norris arduous within the season finale as Ferrari fell quick of their bid to beat McLaren to the constructors’ title.
It might be a while earlier than Sainz may have a automobile that enables him to struggle on the sharp finish once more. However his 2024 efficiency ought to go away nobody in any doubt that he deserves one.
RaceFans’ driver rankings are primarily based partly on the scores awarded to drivers for his or her performances in every spherical in addition to different components.
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