Carlos Sainz Settles King of Spain Debate as He Dethrones Fernando Alonso With Mega Ferrari Achievement

Last time out in Monza, Carlos Sainz got officially initiated into the Tifosi’s hearts. It was the Italian GP, and Ferrari turned up with a car to impress. Sainz didn’t let the opportunity go and gave himself the clearest view of any to Turn 1. Securing pole position in a Ferrari in Monza? It was a dream come true for the Spaniard. Come race day, he put up a valiant fight against the charging Red Bull of Max Verstappen. That was all it took to solidify himself as the Spanish Defence Minister (at least in the eyes of the Tifosi). Two weeks later, at the Singapore GP, he’s now the King of Spain!

Again, King of Spain in the eyes of the Tifosi. This title was in no way an easy one to achieve. Having assumed the role of Defence Minister from none other than Fernando Alonso, Sainz had to dethrone him once again. Everyone knows just how formidable a force Alonso is. So, doing what Sainz did was, in fact, remarkable. But what did he do?

Carlos Sainz painted the streets of Singapore Ferrari Red

The Marina Bay Circuit is a favorite among the drivers. As physically grueling as it gets, the excitement of driving an F1 car around here trumps everything. Because of how challenging the track is—with its narrow straights and tight corners—qualifying is always a treat to watch. It never disappoints. This season was no different, giving the F1 community one of the most shocking sessions in a while. With a Red Flag, Yellow Flags, a crash, and a spin, ‘chaotic’ is the word to describe the session. Despite all this, who came out on top? No, it wasn’t the usual Verstappen. It was Carlos Sainz!

The Singapore GP is a race Ferrari loves. The track suits—with its slow- and medium-speed corners—suits Ferrari. Like in Monza, Sainz looked on top of his game coming into qualifying. Having topped FP2 and FP3, he was looking to make it two consecutive poles for the first time in his career. And he did just that, securing his fifth career pole, which also was his fifth for Ferrari. That’s where his comparison with Alonso comes in.

Read More: 10 Weeks After Ugly Duel With Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz Rubbishes Rift Rumors With a Scathing Warning

The veteran Spaniard drove for Ferrari from 2010 to 2014, winning his first race for Ferrari on his debut. While his Ferrari tenure didn’t necessarily play out the way he wanted, he still had a fairly successful record with the Scuderia. Despite amassing 11 wins, Alonso could only manage 4 pole positions in five seasons. Sainz, in just his third season for Ferrari, surpassed that feat last night. And now, since he’s established the title of King of Spain, he’s set his sights on becoming the King of Singapore.

Will Carlos Sainz be the one to break Red Bull’s streak?

This season has seen utter Red Bull domination. 14 wins in 14 races. Coming into the Singapore GP, even the Milton-Keynes outfit knew it would have a tough time on track. But no one expected it to be this bad. A shock exit for both Red Bulls in Q2 will see Verstappen line up in P11 and Sergio Perez in P13. In his post-qualifying interview, Sainz said, “Keeping it clean around here in Singapore normally pays off.” That’s what he did, but precisely what Red Bull couldn’t manage, giving Sainz the power to end its mammoth streak.

It all comes down to race pace, though. Ferrari has shown mega one-lap pace on different occasions, but in the words of Sainz, “We know our weakness is always the race pace. It’s where we pay the price.” Based on post-practice analysis, Ferrari has the third-fastest race pace behind Red Bull and McLaren, slightly edging Mercedes. While Red Bull shouldn’t be too much of a problem on Sunday, Sainz will have a Mercedes and McLaren chasing him. George Russell—in P2—with an extra set of new Medium tires, will look to capitalize on that. Sainz still believes Ferrari has made tremendous progress to improve on that account.

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Who do you think will emerge victorious on Sunday? Carlos Sainz, George Russell, or—dare I say—Max Verstappen?