Carlos Sainz talked up McLaren‘s chances compared to Ferrari in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, highlighting their struggles with managing tyre temperatures in 2024 as a factor favouring Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Oscar Piastri predicted Ferrari will be “very strong” in Las Vegas while Lando Norris said McLaren‘s constructors’ championship rivals are better suited to The Strip Circuit, where Charles Leclerc led a front-row lockout 12 months ago.
Sainz was carrying a 10-place penalty due to a loose manhole cover causing extensive to his SF-23 but finished just 2.2 seconds away from fourth while Leclerc fought both Red Bulls for victory, yet the Spaniard believes the 2024 Las Vegas GP is finely poised between McLaren and Ferrari.
“I think especially this year we have been quick on this kind of tracks, long straights, 90 degree corners, just put the car straight as soon as possible and the car is good. McLaren can talk us up with the track layout, but at the same time we know our weaknesses,” Sainz told the media.
“We know that this temperature is could potentially be a big weakness for us, so we want to be completely alert and try to be on top of that from the start of the weekend. That’s been our biggest weakness this year in qualifying and in the races to switch on the tires in the outlaps of the race, in the qualifying laps
“So we are aware that as good as this track looks on paper, then it’s presenting us with the biggest challenge of, of the temperatures that we’ve never raised in such cold temperatures apart from last year and also.”
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What McLaren comments irked Sainz in Las Vegas?
Piastri conceded “Ferrari will be very strong” though added he believes McLaren are in a “good spot”, as he attempts to improve on his tenth-place finish from eighteenth on the grid in Nevada in 2023.
That came after Piastri had roared to his first F1 race win in the Qatar sprint and with only Lusail and the Yas Marina Circuit left on the calendar after Las Vegas, Ferrari and Sainz don’t have many opportunities left to overhual McLaren in the constructors’ championship.
36 points separate the old foes with Red Bull a further 13 behind Ferrari but going backwards thanks to Sergio Perez, and Norris praised his rivals’ recovery in 2024.
“They’ve clearly improved their car a good amount and found a better direction to head down,” Norris added. “And they’ve become, probably with us, and some races a bit better, some races a little bit behind, some races the same, as a competitor. Red Bull are close at the same time.
“So it’s more who can just do a better performance on the weekend. But we do know that Vegas is probably a track that will suit the Ferraris a bit more. It suited them well last year. But Qatar, we know maybe will be more favourable to us again.”
