F1 News: Carlos Sainz Comments On Racing Future - "Trying To Prove What I'm Capable Of"
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz clinched the third position at the Bahrain Grand Prix, following the victory of Max Verstappen and the second-place finish by Sergio Perez. With this being his final season with the Maranello outfit and an uncertain seat for 2025, Sainz is determined to prove his capability.
Key Takeaways:
- Carlos Sainz secured a strong third place at the Bahrain Grand Prix, starting his final season with Ferrari amid uncertainties about his 2025 seat.
- Lewis Hamilton's surprise move to Ferrari for 2025 has intensified the driver market, leaving Sainz with uncertainties. Despite rumors, he remains focused on proving himself and keeping his options open.
- Sainz emphasizes a clean and safe racing approach, staying dedicated to showcasing his capabilities in each race while avoiding speculation about his future in F1.
Sainz is left without a seat for 2025, which will be taken over by Lewis Hamilton, who announced his shock exit from Mercedes for Ferrari last month. The announcement was powerful enough to rock the driver market, especially since 13 driver contracts are reported to expire at the end of the 2024 season.
Thus, Sainz will be leaving no stone unturned to prove himself. While rumors linked him to a potential move to Red Bull, Mercedes, and Audi, which enters the F1 grid in 2026/ 2027, it is quite natural for Sainz to keep all options open by performing at his optimum best.
Speaking on the events that led to his P3 finish, Sainz told Sky Sports F1:
"I think it was a very good race after a tricky start. I settled into my pace and knew I had good race pace from testing and settled into my rhythm.
"I started overtaking cars, kept it up with Checo which wasn't easy because the Red Bulls had really good pace and a good strategy with the new soft. But, very happy and an encouraging start."
When asked whether he will have more team-mate fights with Charles Leclerc, he answered:
"I'm going to overtake when I have a chance and be safe and clean like it was today, especially when I have good pace and could extend my first stop, so I could create a tyre advantage for myself.
"The overtaking was always clean, tidy and safe which is the way I like to go racing."
Sainz was then asked if he felt each race was highlighting him in the driver market. He said:
"I've been in F1 for nine years and every race I'm trying to prove to everyone what I'm capable of doing.
"At the same time, I've done so many years here that everyone knows what I'm able to do with the right working environment and right tools to fight.
"My future is something I'm not thinking about at the moment and only think about it in my off time."