Sainz hails ‘best lap of the year’ but rues grid penalty

Williams charger Carlos Sainz left qualifying in Mexico City feeling deeply satisfied – and just a little frustrated.

The Spaniard described his lap in Q3 as his “best of the year”, a performance full of confidence and precision that underscored his growing comfort the British outfit’s FW47.

Yet, a five-place grid penalty carried over from Austin will see him start Sunday’s Grand Prix from 12th instead of inside the top seven where he qualified.

Still, Sainz was riding high after an effort that outpaced McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, proving he’s hitting his stride at just the right time.

“Well, today I’m going to focus on the positives because it was one of my best qualifying of the year, if not my best lap, probably Q3 lap of the year,” he told reporters after Saturday’s shootout.

“Yeah, I’m honestly very happy, feeling more and more at home with the car every session that I do, knowing where to go with set-up, with tyres.

“Just put there a really solid lap to fight it out with McLaren and the Mercedes for the top seven, and we managed to get it there, so very happy with that.”

Turning the Weekend Around

Sainz’s upbeat mood came after a tricky start to the day. In the final practice session, he struggled to find balance and rhythm in the car, but decisive setup changes ahead of qualifying proved transformative.

“In FP3, I was struggling with some issues. But we changed a couple of things in the car, and it seemed to be solved,” he explained.

“I think we were also struggling a bit with tyres when the track temp was dropping now, but I could get my way around it. I think experience in the end is just helping me. Going through all that pain in the middle of the season with tyres.

“I feel like I’ve learned a lot of lessons that I need to apply with this car. Today, we were very reactive; we struggled a bit in Q1. But then we got everything going in Q2 and Q3, and we managed to maximise the pace of the car.”

Sainz also reflected on what more could have been achieved had strategy fallen slightly differently in the closing stages.

“Maybe for the future, being a bit more brave to save a set for Q3 might give us a position or two,” he admitted. “But I’m very happy, very proud of the team because we’re making huge progress through the year.

“Even if the pace was there at the beginning, now putting things together just shows what we can do.”

‘Everything Came Together’

For Sainz, this qualifying session wasn’t just about pace – it was about execution. Every detail, from car balance to steering inputs, clicked into place at just the right moment.

“It’s the cleanest, probably no mistakes, knowing what to do with the flap, knowing what to do with my steering tools, knowing what to do with my driving, with my racing lines,” he said.

“I just put everything together, and when you cross the line and you say that there’s not more than half a tenth in this lap, then you’re like, OK, this is a good one.

“I’ve done good qualis in Miami, Imola, halfway through the year in Silverstone. And I think I did strong Qualis, but nowhere near this.

“Again, we are only two or three tenths of my pole of last year with a Williams. So it shows the progress of the team, the progress I’m doing and we’re getting there.”

‘I’ll Push’ – Eyes on Recovery

While the penalty will drop him down the order, Sainz made clear that his motivation remains high heading into race day.

“Tomorrow when I wake up, I say, ‘S**t, now I need to start from P12.’ There will be frustration today, I’m just proud of the job done. But tomorrow, just get a good start, see what the cooling of the car allows me to do.

• Read also: Sainz hit with five-place grid drop after Antonelli clash

“Here I’m going to be quick, like expected, I’m probably fastest midfield car like I’ve been all the last few races in race pace. But here I’ll probably be a bit more limited by the track layout, by the cooling of the car, and see what we can do to recover.

“I’ll do my best, and if the engine or the brakes are running too hot, I’ll just back off and have to bring it home. But I’ll push.”

Despite the grid drop, Sainz leaves Saturday with renewed optimism. Confident in his car, composed under pressure, and sharper than ever in qualifying, the Spaniard appears ready to turn adversity into opportunity once the lights go out in Mexico City.

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