Carlos Sainz: “I will talk to Charles, these are matters between us” | Las Vegas GP. Las Vegas: Carlos Sainz explained that a clarification with Charles Leclerc isn't necessary.

A good third place, but with mixed feelings. Despite his satisfaction with another podium finish in a race filled with events, Carlos Sainz admitted that the glass might be more half-empty than half-full. Ferrari’s expectations, especially after strong qualifying, were to contend for the win.

However, aside from a few laps after the start, George Russell was never truly pressured by the two Ferraris. Lewis Hamilton added the finishing touch for Mercedes with an impressive climb from 10th on the grid to second after a mistake-filled qualifying session.

This was the source of disappointment for the Spaniard, as race pace seemed stronger than qualifying performance, raising hopes of taking the victory from Mercedes and earning valuable points against McLaren in the constructors’ championship. This was especially crucial on a weekend when the Woking-based team failed to shine.

Carlos Sainz never had a real chance to trouble Russell, partly because he had to defend his position at the start against Pierre Gasly, only to lose second place to teammate Charles Leclerc. Leclerc immediately began chasing Mercedes’ Russell but pushed his tires too hard, causing excessive graining and giving Carlos Sainz the opportunity to reclaim second place. By then, however, Russell had already built a significant lead, and Sainz also started experiencing graining issues after a few laps.

“It was a bit shocking on the mediums; I expected to be competitive on this tire, but I think they lasted only seven or eight laps,” the Ferrari driver said post-race, expressing surprise over tire management in the first stint. He also lost position to Max Verstappen and, by pitting early, re-entered traffic, which worsened his graining in the second stint.

“From that moment on, we tried to minimize the damage. I wasn’t comfortable with the car and hoped to be a bit faster to fight for victory, but we didn’t have the pace today. We go home with third place and a podium that falls short of our expectations but is the best we could achieve today,” Sainz added, acknowledging his hope of contending for the win but accepting that the result behind the two Mercedes was the maximum possible.

Although Max Verstappen had emerged ahead after the first pit stop, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc managed to recover ground on the Dutchman, ultimately overtaking him in the final ten laps thanks to less pronounced graining on the harder tires—preserved for the race after being skipped during Friday’s sessions. However, tensions weren’t absent, particularly between the teammates.

During Lap 26, in the most critical phase of his race due to tire issues, Carlos Sainz was instructed by the pit wall not to slow down and allow Charles Leclerc to pass, but he delayed complying for one lap. Moreover, in the following lap, Carlos Sainz was called into the pits for a tire change and to switch to “Plan C.” However, at the last moment, the team told him to stay out as the crew wasn’t ready, forcing the Spaniard to cut across the pit entry lane.

When asked about this by Sky Italia, Carlos Sainz firmly stated that discussions would be kept internal: “We decided not to talk [about this] with the media. I will discuss it with Charles. But there’s no need to clear things up—it’s a matter between us. I never open the radio or talk to the media about these issues because it’s not the right thing to do, nor is it necessary.” – he pointed out at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“I had been asking to pit for two laps. I wanted to let Charles through because he was faster, but I also knew Hamilton was behind, so I was asking to pit due to the graining. We didn’t stop, I stayed out for two more laps, and even with the pit stop, we had problems. Things didn’t go well for me or for Charles. I lost a lot of time. It wasn’t a good situation and wasn’t easy to manage. That’s how it went, and that’s why I prefer to analyze it later.”

Reflecting on the race, Carlos Sainz added that he was still happy with third place, a form of redemption after last year, when a loose drain cover during practice forced him to take a penalty: “I hoped Vegas would offer me something more after what happened last year. I’ll take this year’s podium as a sort of revenge. But that’s in the past; we look to the future. I think the race provided good entertainment.”