Carlos Sainz will stand out in 2023 as the only driver to defeat Red Bull in a race this season, but his triumph with Ferrari in Singapore yielded a very different feeling compared to his maiden F1 win with the Scuderia at Silverstone in 2022.
Sainz’s victory at the Marina Bay venue deprived the mighty Red Bull team of a historic clean sweep.
But the lights-to-flag performance was first and foremost a testament to the Spaniard’s driving prowess around the challenging street circuit and to Ferrari’s impeccable execution.
Sainz’s win was a significant achievement on a personal level, and one that also served as a beacon of hope for Ferrari, demonstrating the Italian outfit’s potential to compete against Red Bull and return to championship contention.
But when everything clicks, and a driver delivers a flawless performance, it can lead to a surge of pride and fulfillment that is unmatched in other endeavors.
“If I had to define this season in one word, I would say Singapore,” Sainz told DAZN as he revisited his 2023 campaign.
“The truth is that I was going very fast, even without perfect laps. I was getting my full potential out of it. And I knew that for the last lap of Q3, going as fast as I was going, I could make pole position.
“And then in the race everything went perfect and that gives you a happiness, a satisfaction with yourself, that very few things give you. And like Singapore, I’ve never felt more fulfilled, more satisfied with the performance of a weekend.”
Asked how his triumph compared to his milestone first career win in F1 at Silverstone in 2022, Sainz opened up on the contrast between the two events.
“The victory at Silverstone in 2022 is more emotional, the one where you fulfil a dream, which is to win,” he said.
“The Singapore win in 2023 is more like the satisfaction of having done everything perfect.
“There have been practically one or two opportunities to beat Red Bull this season. One was Singapore and the other was Las Vegas.
In Singapore the opportunity presented itself and we took it. We didn’t miss. And that makes me proud of myself and proud of the team as well. Knowing that when there have been opportunities, we have taken them.”
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