Carlos Sainz has been warning for days. He wants to say goodbye to Ferrari with at least one more victory. And to do this, there is nothing better than starting first in this Sunday’s race. The Madrid native signed a stratospheric pole position – the sixth of his career and the first of 2024 – and will start at the head of the grid. Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome.
At the first opportunity, two bombs. The most popular, that of Sergio Perezthat pilot who has always proudly carried the flag and the name of his country, Mexicoon circuits around the world. This Saturday, at home, in front of his people, he let out his worst version, the one that no one, not even him, is able to explain. Czech, aboard a Red Bullwas unable to qualify for Q2. He scored the penultimate time and, at the expense of possible sanctions, will have to start from 18th place on the grid.
No less surprising was the mistake of Oscar Piastri. It is incomprehensible that the good Australian driver was also eliminated in Q1 when driving the fashionable car: a McLaren. Suffice it to say that his teammate, Lando Norris, made the best lap in that initial stretch of qualifying. Incredible.
The Mexican hubbub continued during Q2. In reality, everything was triggered with ten seconds left in the session. Tsunoda crashed into the wall, the stewards raised the red flag and, logically, decided that it would not resume.
There was no time for more, and that doomed all those who were trying to qualify in a last lap to the limit. They fell Bottasthe two RBs—Tsunoda and his partner Lawson—and the two Aston Martin of Alonso and Stroll.
It is probable, because he usually does it, that the Asturian once again took off an impossible tenth of a second to repeat the miracle of entering Q3, but from the chaos caused by the Japanese accident a very faithful photo of the current situation of the race was born. grill.
With the already mentioned exceptions of Pérez and Piastri, the best drivers and the fastest cars currently remained standing: Norris, Vertstappen, the Ferraristhe mercedes and the haasin addition to Albon and Gasly.
The third and final chapter started as expected, with a side-by-side fight between the two great contenders for the world title: Verstappen and Norris. Until the Dutchman had his time taken away for exceeding the track limits… and until Carlos Sainz’s red car crossed the finish line.
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