F1 News: Carlos Sainz On ‘Tough’ Japanese GP P3 - ‘Tricky’

Carlos Sainz celebrates his P3 finish in the Japanese Grand Prix.

Nov 17, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of The Netherlands (1) / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Sainz secured third place at the demanding Japanese Grand Prix, acknowledging the challenge of overtaking on the Suzuka track.

Key Takeaways:

• Sainz finished third at the Japanese GP, overcoming tyre degradation and challenging weather conditions.
• Overtaking at Suzuka proved difficult for Sainz, requiring precise manoeuvres, especially at the last chicane.
• Despite initially falling behind after a pit stop, Sainz managed to surpass Lando Norris and teammate Charles Leclerc, attributing his success to the performance on hard tyres.

Nov 17, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. of Spain (55) reacts / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz delivered an impressive performance during the Japanese Grand Prix, clinching the third spot on the podium. Speaking after the race, the Spanish driver recounted the challenging conditions at the Suzuka circuit, where tyre degradation played a significant role in the race strategy. However, as the clouds gathered and the track conditions improved, Sainz and his team debated the merits of a one-stop strategy against their initial two-stop plan. He commented, as quoted by Sky Sports F1:

"I had a good race. I'm very happy because it was quite tough out there with the degradation but then the clouds came and the degradation went a lot lower and I thought one-stop was quicker and we were on the two.

"I had to overtake a lot of cars out there. Overtaking was tricky, like always at Suzuka, you need to nail the last chicane to get a good run into Turn One. I could finish my moves but it was tough out there."

Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz waves to the crowd during driver engagements at the Germania / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

Reflecting on his mid-race position, after rejoining the track behind Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, Sainz admitted he believed a podium finish was possible but anticipated significant challenges. He continued:

"I thought it was on but thought it would be very difficult to get back into third given how tricky it was to overtake the Mercedes in the second stint and how difficult it was to follow.

"I knew I needed a very big delta to approach Lando and Charles. In the end, we managed it. I was quick on the hard tyre. I really liked how the hard tyre gave me a feeling to push and I got the moves done and got the podium."

The Japanese Grand Prix was won by Max Verstappen, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez taking second place. Sainz's podium finish at Suzuka adds to his impressive track record, following a victory in Australia earlier in the season.