“They Don’t Deserve Him”: Subdued Celebrations for Carlos Sainz’s Pole Position Land Ferrari on Fans’ Wrong Side

In the buildup to the Mexican GP, Carlos Sainz secured pole position with two flawless laps in Q3. This was meant to be a huge moment for Sainz and Ferrari, especially with his time in Maranello coming to an end. However, the celebrations were rather subdued.

As reported by @f1gossipofficial, when Sainz returned to the pits after securing P1 for the Grand Prix, the only person there to greet him was Gigi, his personal trainer. The rest of the Ferrari crew? Nowhere to be seen.

This lack of enthusiasm not only reinforced the narrative of a Charles Leclerc bias at Ferrari but also fueled arguments that the team doesn’t value Sainz as much as it should.

“They don’t deserve him,” one fan wrote on Instagram, reflecting a sentiment that Sainz’s efforts weren’t fully appreciated by his team.

“I mean, Sainz is part of the team, and they’re not there to celebrate pole with him. If it had been Leclerc, they’d be right there in the front row—unacceptable, as Carlos said,” another fan commented.

Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021 and has largely been viewed as Ferrari’s second driver since—not due to his ability, as he actually outperformed Leclerc in the Championship in his debut season, but because Leclerc has long been the Scuderia’s golden boy.

Sainz has won three races during his time with Ferrari, including one earlier this season. However, the celebrations have generally been low-key compared to the emotions shown when Leclerc wins. One person who was always by his side, though, was his cousin Onoro. Unfortunately, even he wasn’t trackside in Mexico City on Saturday.

Sainz would have loved a bit more celebration following his first pole of 2024. With only four races left after Mexico before his time at Ferrari comes to an end, he would be for a memorable exit.

Sainz has limited time to shine

Sainz learned Ferrari wouldn’t be renewing his contract just before the 2024 season began when the Italian team announced Lewis Hamilton’s signing. He embarked on a quest to secure a spot on the grid but, unfortunately, couldn’t land one with a top team. In the end, he settled for a seat at Williams.

While Sainz insisted that he trusted the vision laid out by Team Principal James Vowles, Williams will likely remain toward the back of the grid in 2025—where they’ve been for some time—unless they achieve a miraculous turnaround. This means Sainz won’t have many opportunities to compete for poles, wins, or podiums.

The 30-year-old knows that which is why he’s determined to give his best in his final races with Ferrari, who are competing towards the front of the grid. And although he won’t say it openly, he would appreciate it if Ferrari made his departure a memorable one.