Carlos Sainz Might Not Necessarily Have An Easy Las Vegas GP

Carlos Sainz begins his 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix from second on the grid. Without any doubt, it’s the second-best place on the grid from which to start his contest, a rather interesting one in that it is the last time in red at Vegas for the Spaniard as far as his (current) Ferrari stint is concerned.

But then it is here where it gets exciting for the man who succumbed to a lowly sixth the last time around he went racing at this venue.

While Carlos Sainz’s SF 24 was found to be barely disadvantageous in terms of its gap to the Mercedes of George Russell, the margins being too thin, the real pressure for the Ferrari driver could come from the rear of the red machine.

Tucked in nicely in third is the Alpine of Pierre Gasly, a driver who looked confident at the conclusion of the qualifying and will take his chances come the Las Vegas Grand Prix. At his end, Carlos Sainz, who’ll be eager to score some good points, thus ending his third-last race ever for Ferrari on a high, would want to get off to a clean getaway, which is the case with every single driver on the grid.

But then isn’t it here where it gets very interesting for the Madrid-born driver? Having pushed George Russell in the final moments of the qualifying for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, going as far as taking provisional pole, before all the good work was sidelined thanks to a mega Russell lap, Sainz will be eager to make a move.

And as the five red lights turn green, it is here where the battle for track position, especially in the early stages of the Las Vegas Grand Prix will get even more enticing. Technically speaking, currently sandwiched between the high-performing Mercedes that really hit the soft spot on Saturday and the surprisingly quick Alpine of his teammate’s best friend Gasly, Sainz could even come under some pressure.

Or so we think!

Will Vegas be a Smooth Race for the Smooth Operator?

While what’s done is done in the past and can no longer be corrected, Carlos Sainz would be definitely aiming for a podium finish, something he quite simply failed to do the last time around he went racing at this particular venue. Having run over an open manhole cover, thus spoiling his chances of running a fine Las Vegas Grand Prix, in 2024, Sainz will be expected to put on a cracker of a show.

His current grid stacking suggests that a podium is not out of sight. Second isn’t the worst place to begin a Grand Prix anyway. But add to that Carlos’s own confidence at the post-quali presser, wherein he shared the ambition to gun for a victory, anything is possible. Which also means taking a high-risk approach in a bid to gain track position.

How the opening few laps pan out at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix could well set the tone for not just Carlos Sainz’a own fortunes under bright lights at Nevada, but could also set a context to Ferrari’s fortunes on the Constructors’ standings.

In all, we have a cracker of a contest up ahead. And soon as the five lights turn green, Las Vegas’s sparkly night lights shall welcome a racy contest that could liven up the paddock with great speed and not just that; some emphatic and maybe even surprising outcomes.

Let us not forget that the two McLarens shall also consider themselves in the mix. That is especially given the fact that their closest rivals Red Bull have been found wanting by as much as six-tenths slower per lap thanks to a rear-wing configuration that for the lack of better word has put them onto the backfoot.