The Las Vegas GP was a positive one for Ferrari. They managed to get both their cars ahead of the competitors, Mercedes. Charles Leclerc was able to finish in 2nd place with only Max Verstappen ahead, while Carlos Sainz managed to finish 6th after dropping down to last place after an opening lap incident.
Carlos Sainz had one of the most unfair penalties this weekend. During FP1, the Spaniard ran over a loose drain cover which damaged key components in the car. Due to this, the team had to change Sainz’s Engine, Battery, Control Electronics, and Chassis. As he had to use an extra unit of engine and battery, Sainz received a 10-place penalty for the race.
After the penalty was given, all the teams except 1 signed a petition to revoke the penalty. However, the FIA needed all teams to sign this petition. It has been reported that the only team to not sign the petition was Mercedes.
Carlos Sainz after finishing P6 ahead of both Mercedes:
“I’m very happy to finish ahead of those who wanted me to be penalised”
😅👀
[@F1tutkumuz] #F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/wmtpo07erb
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) November 19, 2023
During the race, Hamilton and Russell only managed to finish 7th and 8th respectively. Carlos Sainz finished ahead of both these cars despite having a tougher race than them. After the race, Sainz did not stop himself from making a cheeky statement subtly mocking Mercedes.
“I’m very happy to finish ahead of those who wanted me to be penalized”
If Sainz had not received the penalty, he would have started P2 and would have definitely helped the team win the race. Charles Leclerc only finished 2 seconds behind Verstappen who was on a better strategy. This is the closest Charles has come to a win this season.
Mercedes braces for heartbreak as Carlos Sainz and Co. threaten to steal P2 in Abu Dhabi
With Ferrari scoring 26 points during the Las Vegas GP, it has put them only 4 points behind Mercedes with only 1 race remaining. Heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi, we could see an exciting battle between Mercedes and Ferrari.
The 2 teams will be throwing everything they have for the last race. While Mercedes were strong during the beginning of the season, for the last couple of races, Ferrari is proving to be stronger than Mercedes. Mercedes will be hoping for a better showing during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. They will just have to keep Ferrari from outscoring them by 4 points.
TEAM STANDINGS 📊
The fight for P2 in the Constructors is still well and truly on between Mercedes and Ferrari! 🥊#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/otvxdmtk2T
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
Carlos Sainz has been consistent for Ferrari throughout the season. His performance during the Las Vegas GP was remarkable. He could have finished much higher if he was able to take full advantage of the safety car. Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen were able to take advantage of the safety car to finish P1 and P3. This prevented Ferrari from scoring more points as Charles Leclerc was not able to win the race.
The battle in Abu Dhabi is going to be an exciting one between Mercedes and Ferrari. Historically, Mercedes has been strong in Abu Dhabi. However, Ferrari does have the momentum going into the finale. Will Ferrari be able to take 2nd place from Mercedes in the last race of the season? Post your answers in the comments section below.