Carlos Sainz (P6, 9 pts): 8/10
We continue to marvel at how well Carlos Sainz has managed his transition to Ferrari since the beginning of 2021. Even though he was pipped by his current team mate Charles Leclerc on Sunday, the Spaniard was arguably the better of the pair at Sao Paulo. The key moment came at the start of the race when his front wing clipped the rear tyre of his ex-McLaren team mate and (former?) best buddy Lando Norris. Although Sainz escaped the clash without any significant damage - as opposed to Norris, who had to limp back to pit lane with a puncture - it allowed Leclerc to steal a position to get in front, which is how it remained for the rest of the afternoon with the pair flying more of less in formation for almost the whole of the ensuing 71 laps. "There are a lot of positives to take away from this weekend [but] I cannot be happy with today's result," he said on Sunday. "If I had made a clean getaway from the line it would probably have ended with P5." Prior to the main race, Sainz had also distinguished himself by daring to run soft tyres in the sprint which had paid off handsomely with a three place leap into second position at the start although Max Verstappen eventually wrested one of those back. Frustrated as Sainz might be, it was still a strong performance for him in Brazil.
Charles Leclerc (P5, 10 pts): 7.5/10
Although he eventually came out on top, Charles Leclerc's weekend actually wasn't quite as strong as that of his Ferrari team mate Carlos Sainz. He was just pipped by the Spaniard in FP1 and again in qualifying but each time there was only about a tenth in it, the pair looking very well matched in Sao Paulo. While a soft tyre gambit worked well for Sainz in the sprint race, the mediums proved less rewarding for Leclerc and he found himself starting Sunday's Grand Prix from sixth while Sainz was now three spots up the road in third. But with Sainz busy on a play date with his old pal Lando Norris on one side of the track, Leclerc used the opportunity to make gains on the other side and emerge from the first lap drama in fourth ahead of Sainz which is where he remained for the rest of the afternoon, the pair glued together for almost the entirety of the 71-lap race. Finishing fifth and sixth respectively means Leclerc and Sainz have both made a significant - possibly decisive - contribution this weekend to Ferrari's campaign for third place in the constructors standings over McLaren.
