Sainz and Leclerc admit to heartbreak in F1 title defeat
Carlos Sainz admitted to being left with a “bittersweet” feeling after Ferrari’s defeat at the hands of McLaren in the 2024 F1 Constructors’ Championship, a sentiment shared by Scuderia teammate Charles Leclerc.
Under the glimmering lights of Yas Marina, Ferrari’s valiant effort to seize the title -even against all odds - fell agonizingly short, despite stirring performances by both Sainz and especially Leclerc in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
While McLaren celebrated their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998, Ferrari was left to reflect on what might have been and on the prolongation of its 16-year title drought.
Lando Norris’s victory for McLaren, combined with a points-scoring recovery drive by teammate Oscar Piastri, sealed team papaya’s coronation by a 14-point margin.
For Ferrari, Sainz’s second place and Leclerc’s breathtaking climb from 19th to third symbolized their relentless determination, but ultimately, it was not enough.
Sainz, in his final race for Ferrari before moving to Williams, led the charge for the Scuderia. Starting third on the grid, he briefly threatened Norris in the opening stint but gradually fell back as McLaren’s superior pace on hard tyres became evident.
“Obviously, it is a bit of a bittersweet feeling, in the end,” Sainz admitted, his voice tinged with both pride and disappointment. “P2 I think was the maximum we could do today, given the pace of Lando in the McLaren. Yeah. I gave it everything, especially the first stint it looked like, we could hang on to them.
"Then as soon as we put the hard tyres, they just seemed to be that one or two tenths quicker per lap, like we've seen all weekend, and they just got a bit out of reach."
Sainz’s effort epitomized Ferrari’s season – dogged, resilient, but ultimately falling just short of the level required to dethrone McLaren. Yet, the Spaniard was magnanimous in defeat.
“Congratulations, first of all, to McLaren,” he said. “They deserved this championship. They've been rock solid in the last two-thirds of the championship, and they've been incredible. From our side, I think we can be proud of the effort and the championship we put together.
“It's been a tough year, but definitely a year where we need to be proud of, and hopefully be back here soon.”
For Ferrari, the loss was not for lack of trying. Leclerc, faced with a daunting task after being handed a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his PU energy store allocation, delivered one of the most inspired drives of the season.
From the back of the grid, Leclerc attacked with precision and fearlessness. By avoiding the chaotic first-lap collision between Verstappen and Piastri, Leclerc gained crucial positions early on.
His methodical overtakes, combined with Ferrari’s strong race pace, saw him claw his way back into podium contention.
“I knew I had to be very aggressive,” Leclerc explained. “So I knew that in lap one I had to take all the risks possible in order to gain as many places as possible to then be in a good position for the rest of the race, which was achieved.
“But then, unfortunately, we were just starting too far back to do anything better than what we've done today. I think we've done the maximum."
Leclerc’s relentless push to third underscored Ferrari’s determination, but the realization of coming so close yet falling short stung deeply.
“It hurts, obviously,” he admitted. “Because when the season is so close until the end, and it was a hard hit on Friday when we knew we had the penalty, we still gave it all, and we just come short of our goal, which is a shame. But at the end, we've tried everything.”
Ferrari’s 2024 campaign was one of stark contrasts. A relatively lackluster first half left them trailing McLaren by a wide margin. However, the Scuderia rallied in the second half of the season, transforming into genuine title contenders.
“If we look [at] our first part of the year, we were nowhere near being in the fight for the constructors',” Leclerc reflected. “Then the second part of the season was really good, and the team has done an incredible job.
"I think Carlos and I have done a really good job as well together. So yeah, we ended strong, and I'm sure that next year will hopefully start as strong as what we have ended this year.”
Both drivers took pride in the unity and resilience displayed by Ferrari throughout the season. Despite internal and external challenges, the team demonstrated remarkable progress.
As the final fireworks lit up the Abu Dhabi sky, Ferrari’s garage was a mix of pride and heartbreak. The Constructors’ Championship had slipped through their fingers, but the fight they showed was undeniable.
“We’ve made huge strides this season,” said team principal Frederic Vasseur. “Carlos and Charles have driven their hearts out, and the entire team has worked tirelessly. While this result hurts, it only fuels our motivation to come back stronger.”
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