Carlos Sainz is Hoping For a Win After Horrible Final Lap in Belgian GP Qualifying

Carlos Sainz is Hoping For a Win After Horrible Final Lap in Belgian GP Qualifying

Carlos Sainz had a difficult Q3 session at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix. The #55 driver will start from seventh on the grid for Sunday’s race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps after pole-sitter Max Verstappen takes a ten-place grid drop for a brand-new engine.

The Ferrari driver had out-qualified his teammate Charles Leclerc consecutively for the last three races. However, after a “horrible” final flying lap in Spa, the Spaniard finds himself in a difficult position with Leclerc inheriting the pole position following Verstappen’s penalty.

Pit Debrief quoted the #55 driver as ruing an opportunity to grab his fourth Grand Prix win. Sainz said, “I think that if we would be starting ahead of them, there would be a strong chance of holding on to a podium, or if Max [Verstappen] doesn’t make it through [the] field, maybe a win.”

Despite a tough outing for Sainz, Ferrari have positives to take on from the Qualifying session at the Belgian GP. The last few race weekends had seen them slip down the order behind rivals like McLaren and Mercedes. With Leclerc on pole, Ferrari could be looking at making it three wins in 2024 if the Monegasque can keep the competition behind him.

Leclerc optimistic of winning 2024 Belgian GP

Pole position is always an encouraging sign for a racing driver. However, given the characteristics of the four-mile-long Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the #16 driver has expressed his reservations about converting the pole into a race win. That being said, Leclerc has not given up completely.

The #16 driver was quoted on X (formerly Twitter) as saying, “It feels good to be starting at the front of the grid. It isn’t the easiest track on which to defend the first position on the opening lap, but I will do everything to convert this to a victory for the team.”

Leclerc will have Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton starting behind him. And with a dry race expected, it might be a task too complex for Leclerc to keep faster cars such as the RB20 and W15 behind him for too long.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Belgian GP carlos sainz ferrari

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Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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