Monza 2024 Important Race For Carlos Sainz

He was third-fastest in the second free practice at Monza, home to the Italian Grand Prix. He was seventh in the third free practice at Monza after that. What remains to be seen is whether Carlos Sainz Jr., pole sitter here the last time around, can put forth a strong or dominant qualifying result?

In 2024, Carlos Sainz is yet to take a single pole position. That might not likely change in the next few hours since not only is his SF 24 not the fastest car on the grid, it cuts the picture of a hare when compared to the cheetahs on the grid, these being McLaren and Red Bull.

Having said that, Carlos Sainz Jr., has always been the driver who puts his best foot forward. A little less cliched or boring way of saying that would actually be borderline fanboy-ish. Here’s why.

Sainz is the driver who, if not habitually, can surely bring his A-game forward despite not seeming in great form. For instance, out of nowhere did he put his Ferrari on pole here at Monza in 2023, setting a ballsy 1:20:294 at around this time of the year. Interestingly, he was just fifth a race earlier at the Dutch GP back then.

Then this year again, he happened to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix despite having only just recovered from an appendix-related surgery that took place at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, the national capital. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t even fully fit and was far from his usually calm and positive self.

His win at Melbourne, which truth be told also happened partly since Red Bull’s leading driver Verstappen suffered a DNF, was a rip-roaring triumph for the Madrid-born driver.

The focus for now is Monza. Yet another opportunity to stamp his authority on a sport that he’s made richer by being more than just a Fernando Alonso fan.

Sainz has, in the course of the past half a decade, earned useful podiums for McLaren, given critics a reality check by beating Leclerc in his maiden season at Ferrari (unless we were partial to what the Spaniard achieved in 2021) and won each of his three wins for the famed Italian stable.

Who knows how might he perform at qualifying that is already underway. But what’s sure is that the man whose maiden triumph came at Silverstone, home to the British Grand Prix, would like to give it everything.

It’s also clear as to why that is the case. A good chance is that Sainz will be participating in what could be his final-ever qualifying at Monza as a Ferrari driver.

Carlos Sainz with one last chance to shine for the Scarlet Red team.

He’s got what it takes to be fast, despite not contesting with the fastest car at his disposal. Having said that, Carlos Sainz Jr., who’s all set to move to Williams come 2025, may stay there for his second longer stint, Ferrari being the longest; he was here from the onset of 2021 and has got full five years to shine brightly for the Maranello-based stable.

Moreover, upon the completion of the 2024 first free practice on Thursday, Sainz exclaimed with usual staidness that “It is going to be an emotional race for me.”

While we do know that he is the Smooth Operator of F1, the big question for now is, how smooth might his race be on Sunday, September 1, 2024. And lest it is forgotten, it’ll be the day where the earnest young driver turns 30.

So there we have it. One last chance at glory as a Ferrari driver in Ferrari’s home race and that too, on his birthday. Probably, a podium finish would be the least that his die-hard fans would hope for, if not a win.

But hey, never say never in Formula 1, right?