'Life Sometimes Is Crazy' Sainz Reflects After 'Rollercoaster' First 3 Races

Sunday, 24 March 2024 at 09:45

Carlos Sainz, who won the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, shared his immediate feelings with the media after getting out of the car.

The Spanish Ferrari driver went from not being sure whether he would race this weekend after his surgery (two weeks ago) to starting the race from the second spot on the grid.

Moreover, he managed to win the race after overtaking Max Verstappen on the second lap. The Dutchman suffered an issue with his breaks and had to retire before lap five. From that point on, Sainz says he knew he could bring it home:

"From lap two when I was leading, I said with the pace I had yesterday, I knew I could get it done. Especially in clean air managing the tires, I could get it done."

Read also

Sainz Wins Australian Grand Prix After Verstappen's Retirement

"Obviously the risk of a safety car or red flag here was always in the back of my mind. But luckily, it was a clean race and not too much happened."

Fortunately for the Spaniard, only two virtual safety cars didn't hurt his lead. The first was triggered when Lewis Hamilton had to stop on the side of the track due to engine failure.

And the second one was triggered when George Russell crashed his Mercedes two laps before the end of the race. Sainz continued:

"[I'm] sorry for George there at the end. It looked like a big one. I hope he's OK. I could finish the race, win it and bring it home, a great feeling."

Overall, the 29-year-old says it was a good race for him. A few laps before the end of the race, he said on the team radio that he didn't feel great, but he brought the win home with the comfortable lead he built up.

"It was a really good race, I felt really good out there. Of course a bit stiff and it wasn't the easiest, but I was lucky that I was more or less on my own and I could manage my pace, manage the tyres, manage everything and it wasn't the toughest race of all."

Sainz's teammate Charles Leclerc crossed the line in second place and completed the first one-two result for Ferrari since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. The Spaniard added:

"I'm very happy, very proud of the team, happy to be in a one-two with Charles here. It shows that the hard work pays off."

"Life sometimes is crazy, what happened at the beginning of the year, then the podium in Bahrain and the appendix, the comeback, the win - it's a rollercoaster."