Given how long Carlos Sainz led the Mexican GP, it might seem like an easy win. However, that doesn’t quite capture his race start, where he initially lost P1 to Max Verstappen. The Spaniard later regained the lead from the Dutchman and held on, overcoming challenges that nearly cost him his fourth F1 victory.
In securing his second victory of 2024, Sainz etched his name in Ferrari’s record books by ending the team’s 34-year win drought at the Mexico City GP.
The last Ferrari driver to win in Mexico was Alain Prost in 1990—a memorable victory for the Italian outfit, followed by a 58-race winless streak. It wasn’t until 1994 that Gerhard Berger broke that streak, claiming another victory for Ferrari.
Carlos Sainz becomes the first Ferrari driver since Alain Prost in 1990 to win in Mexico pic.twitter.com/SEkbbuoFun
— Autosport (@autosport) October 27, 2024
During Sunday’s race, Ferrari appeared to be in blistering form, fresh off a 1-2 finish in Austin last week led by Charles Leclerc. This time, however, while Sainz claimed victory whereas Leclerc finished in P3.
Sainz will especially cherish his Mexico City GP win. With the 30-year-old moving to Williams, a backmarker team, he may have to wait a while for his next podiums and victories.
However, Sainz would not want his win in Mexico to be his last. With four more races and two additional sprints remaining, the #55 driver is eager to add more to his tally. Ferrari has certainly provided him with the car to make that possible.
“I really wanted this one”: Sainz
Sainz was on top of his game right from the start of the Mexican GP weekend. The Spaniard finished in the top three in every practice session, topping FP2. In qualifying, he pipped Verstappen—who had his first lap time deleted owing to a track limit violation—to take the pole position.
After converting his pole into a win on Sunday, he said, “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.”
With McLaren not enjoying the dominance it once did in the season, Sainz can certainly make good on that commitment.
