Carlos Sainz secured a solid fourth place at the American Grand Prix this Sunday, delivering a performance that reflected focus, consistency, and strategic pace at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Across the final, high-stakes laps he traded moves with his former teammate Lando Norris, turning the closing stretch into a tense duel for a podium spot that kept fans on the edge of their seats and underscored the rising competitiveness of the Ferrari lineup in the race’s decisive moments.
The Madrid native left Austin with a fifth-place haul in the World Championship, tallying 168 points and just nine points behind his partner in pursuit of the championship lead. He reflected on the weekend, noting that the team had extracted maximum from the car and that the race itself had been a true test of endurance and tire management. In parallel, Charles Leclerc from Monaco, who had started from pole, finished in sixth after a challenging sprint and a demanding race that tested the car’s balance and the crew’s strategy in equal measure.
Leclerc acknowledged the tougher pace from the sprint event the day prior, admitting that the overall rhythm of the weekend became more complex as the Sunday race approached. Still, he highlighted that the team executed nearly flawless decisions with the setup and pit strategy, which helped him push hard and stay in the fight until the end, even if the result slightly underscored the day’s tougher conditions for him. The dynamics at play around COTA demonstrated that even small margins can decide a close order, and every lap required precise timing, tire discipline, and a calm approach under pressure.
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During the race, Sainz explained that there were moments when he gained about a second on Norris in a few laps and allowed himself to dream of a possible podium. He noted that the pace yesterday in qualifying and the sprint had hinted at greater challenges, yet the car’s behavior today gave him confidence. Although tire wear eventually erased the immediate possibility of overtaking, the sense of progress was clear, and the resulting fourth place stood as a strong statement about the car’s potential and the team’s execution over a demanding weekend.