F1, Japan GP: third in qualifying, Carlos Sainz makes a promise

A pole position narrowly missed, and satisfaction mixed with bitterness.

Carlos Sainz qualified in third position for the Japanese Grand Prix, beaten in Suzuka by Max Verstappen and teammate Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari Spaniard lapped 57 thousandths slower than the world-leading Red Bull driver, and at the end of the day he explained to ‘Sky Sports’ what exactly he missed.

“I was on a very good lap to make pole position, and it’s frustrating not to have made it,” Sainz admitted. “It’s already many weekends that I’m at the level of Max and Charles on the dry lap. On the one hand this is positive, because at the beginning of the season it was not like that. I was much further away. Now it’s several races that instead I have the pace to make the pole position, but that always goes away by half a tenth.”

“All three of us are always on the half-tenth. However, I think that by the end of the year this pole position should also come. I will keep working to get it. Today is a little frustrating, but I hope it will come,” Sainz promised.