LECLERC AND SAINZ PRAISE FERRARI’S STRATEGY CHIEF AFTER AUSTIN SUCCESS
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz praised Ferrari’s strategy department for their impressive performance following the sensational 1-2 finish at the United States Grand Prix.
Sainz and Leclerc secured the third and fourth fastest times in Saturday’s qualifying sessions, placing Ferrari on the second row of the grid for the race.
When the five red lights went out, both Ferraris made a great start from the second row. Leclerc took advantage of an opportunity on the inside while Lando Norris and Max Verstappen battled outside.
Although the safety car at the beginning of the race required Leclerc to defend fiercely against Verstappen as the race resumed, the Monegasque driver dominated the race, securing his third victory of the season.
Teammate Carlos Sainz reported technical issues in the early stages of the race, but Ferrari managed to solve the problem with adjustments. The Spanish driver successfully overtook Verstappen during pit stops, helping Ferrari achieve its second 1-2 finish of the season.
After the race, Leclerc and Sainz took to the podium alongside Ferrari’s strategy chief, Ravin Jain, who replaced former strategy chief Inaki Rueda following mistakes in the 2022 Formula 1 season.
Jain, of Indian descent, interned with several Formula teams, including Caterham and Williams. He joined Scuderia Ferrari in 2016 as a mathematical modeling engineer and after six months in that position, he became a race strategy engineer in 2017. In 2023, he was appointed as strategy chief by team principal Frederic Vasseur, replacing Inaki Rueda.
When asked about Jain’s role at Ferrari, Leclerc said, “He is an incredible person. I really trust Ravin. He has done an excellent job. He is quite young for this position, but he is always very calm.”
“This is really necessary; he manages emotions very well, which has perhaps been one of our biggest weaknesses in strategy in the past. This has changed a lot with Ravin. I believe we currently have a very strong track team.”
Carlos Sainz echoed his teammate Leclerc, adding, “It is important to give credit to Ravin and the entire strategy team for the progress made at Ferrari over the past few years.”
“I think it was significant to see progress in that area, and a lot of work has been done behind the scenes. Of course, Ravin played a key role in these efforts.”
“As I have said many times, having a good car on race day helps the strategy work. This year, I feel we have a much stronger car compared to last year.”
“Having a car that wears the tires less and allows us to be more competitive on race day provides better opportunities for flexibility and strategy adjustments.”
