“Right from the get-go in practice, the car was a lot better than expected, a lot more competitive.”
– Carlos Sainz
Sainz’s hot start
Beginning the race from P7 on the grid, the Spaniard quickly improved on the opening lap as Isack Hadjar and George Russell lost positions.
Due to the Lusail International Circuit being notoriously difficult to overtake, Sainz was able to maintain his brilliant position.
Carlos Sainz celebrates P3 at the Qatar Grand Prix. Photo: RacePictures.
Proud of his team
Speaking to the media, post-race, he said: “I think it’s my proudest day in Williams.
He was asked to explain the turnaround from previously stating Qatar would be his most difficult weekend of the season, to finishing P3.
“I think it’s obviously partly due to—or mainly due to—the hard work I think everyone’s done trying to prepare this race after the very difficult weekend we had in Budapest.
“Which is kind of this long, medium-speed combined corners that we always seem to be very, very weak.
Carlos Sainz with his Williams crew in Qatar. Photo: RacePictures
“We put together a plan with the team to try some different things in the simulator and in the factory to try and switch on the car for these kinds of tracks.
“And to be honest, right from the get-go in practice, the car was a lot better than expected, a lot more competitive.
“And then we did another couple of changes going into the main quali and the main race after our learnings from the Sprint that really switched on the car, especially in the race pace.
“Yesterday, we struggled a lot with front deg. Today [the race], the car felt a lot better, and we went from seeing Antonelli checking out in the Sprint and giving us ten seconds, to all of a sudden, today having a chance to keep him behind, race him, and even, obviously, with the strategy thing of the McLarens also keep Lando behind.