‘Annoyed’ Sainz served up ‘surprise’ on Verstappen to claim Mexican win

Carlos Sainz said the fact he was “annoyed” at allowing Max Verstappen by at the start of the Mexico City Grand Prix played its part in him securing the fourth victory of his F1 career.

From pole position, and on the half-mile run to Turn 1, second-on-the-grid Verstappen managed to claim the lead ahead of the Ferrari driver.

After six laps that immediately followed behind the safety car after RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon in his Williams collided on the approach to the first corner on the opening lap, Sainz reeled in Verstappen and made a bold move stick at the start of lap eight.

From there, it was a relatively comfortable drive to the chequered flag for Sainz, who leaves Ferrari at the end of the year following the team’s move for Lewis Hamilton before a wheel had turned in anger this season.

Reflecting on his key moment of the race, and asked how he prepared for the move on Verstappen, he said: “I didn’t prepare for it, to be honest.

“I was just a bit annoyed at the start at having lost position to him, and I said I need to surprise him one way or another because Max is super difficult to pass, which he has proven many, many times.

“I was a bit far back but I said I have nothing to lose, I am going to send one down the inside. I’ve been very confident braking into Turn 1 this weekend, and I knew I could make it.”

Feeling the energy from the Spanish-speaking Mexican crowd, Sainz said this was a victory he desperately wanted before leaving the Scuderia.

“It’s great to see this crowd,” said Sainz. “I’ve been feeling their support all week. I have a big fan base here in Mexico, and it gave me a lot of strength to do the weekend I’ve done.

“Honestly, I really wanted this one. I really needed it for myself. I 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 as much as possible, and if another one comes, I will go for it.”