Reflecting on his dominant Mexico Grand Prix victory, Carlos Sainz said he achieved his target of one more race win with Ferrari as he prepares to depart the Scuderia at the end of the season.
Sainz will join Williams next season and will be replaced at Ferrari by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who will drive alongside Charles Leclerc.
Sainz won by 4.705 seconds in Mexico City with McLaren’s Lando Norris second and teammate Leclerc third. Ferrari claimed a points haul good enough to overtake Red Bull in the constructors’ championship and move within 29 points of leaders McLaren.
“Honestly, I really wanted this one,” Sainz said after the race. “I really needed it for myself and wanted to get it done. I’ve been saying for a while I wanted one more win before leaving Ferrari and to do it here in front of this mega crowd is incredible.
“Now with four races left I want to enjoy it as much as possible and if another one [win] comes I’m going to go for it.
“I’ve been feeling the support of the Mexican fans all weekend so I guess Spanish speaking is something that helps. It felt like after Checo [Sergio Perez] probably they were supporting me.”
The 30-year-old Spaniard won his second race of the season in front of his family, with his mother, girlfriend and father, racing driver Carlos Sainz Sr., present.
“Since I arrived in Mexico I had a feeling that the win was possible. I knew my family was coming to see me this weekend, my mum was going to be present — I never won a race with my mum in front of me — and my best friends are here and my dad and I was like ‘there might be something cooking’ this weekend and I need to make the most of it.
“Everyone knew I wanted one more race win with Ferrari. I felt like I also deserved it, I’ve been driving well all year, pushing flat out keeping my motivation high — even in difficult circumstances — and wanting to give everything for this team, and I feel like I drove some really good races and one more I had to win.
“Eventually it happened and it had to be in Mexico infront of my family — it doesn’t mean I’m not going to try and win more.”
Sainz started Sunday’s race from pole position, but lost the lead to Max Verstappen on the run to the first corner.
Sainz regained the lead after the safety car restart when he lunged down the inside of Verstappen in a stunning move to take the place back. For the remainder of the race, his lead never faltered.
On the Red Bull overtake, he said: “I was just annoyed at the start to lose a position with him, and I needed to surprise him one way or another because Max is super difficult to pass which he has proven many times.
“I was a bit far back but I had nothing to lose so I said I’m just going to send one down the inside and I’ve been very confident at the braking into Turn 1 this weekend and I knew I could make it.”
Verstappen finished in sixth after a 20-second penalty for an incident with title rival Norris dropped him down the order. Norris finished second to reduce the points gap to 47 points with four races remaining.
