Sainz reveals UNUSUAL reason why he's relishing F1 Qatar return

Sam Cook
Thursday 5 October 2023 15:57

Carlos Sainz has revealed his joy at Formula 1 returning to Qatar this weekend, as he likes to spend time on the beach before the race on Sunday.

F1 has not visited the Losail International Circuit since 2021, when Lewis Hamilton took the victory during his intense title battle with Max Verstappen.

Sainz could only manage seventh during that particular race, but nonetheless is excited to go back there as he attempts to take the fight to Verstappen once again this weekend.

The Spaniard has managed just one race win so far in 2023, but that was taken at another night race in Singapore and was the only time the dominant Red Bull team have been beaten all season.

The race in Qatar will be run in the evening, due to the heat. As F1 heads under the lights once more, Sainz has revealed his love for the circuit.

"I love to be back in Losail," he told Ferrari's official page on X, formerly Twitter.

"Mainly because it's a track where you feel the Formula 1 nature a lot, with a lot of high-speed corners which, with this new generation of cars, is exactly what I enjoy and like the most.

"I love going to Qatar or Abu Dhabi at the end of the season because it starts to get cold in Europe and you can actually get to chill, normally they are also quite relaxing weekends and you can be at the beach in the morning because the race is at night and it's nice."

Thoughts on the Losail circuit, @CarlosSainz55?

🗣️ “A lot of high-speed corners, which with these new generation of cars is exactly what I enjoy the most!”

Looking ahead to the #QatarGP weekend 🇶🇦⬇️

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) October 4, 2023

READ MORE Sainz names main advantage Ferrari have over F1 rival

Sprint weekends offer hope for other teams

With Red Bull having already won the 2023 constructors' championship, you'd be forgiven for thinking they may take their eye off the ball a little in the remaining six races of the season.

However, team principal Christian Horner has recently issued a warning to Red Bull that the upcoming sprint weekends (three of the final six races) could cause problems for the team, and that they need to be ready for the challenge Ferrari and Mercedes may bring.

Verstappen needs just three points from the sprint race (finishing 6th or above) to seal his third consecutive world championship before Sunday's race.

Sainz and Ferrari will be hoping that they can once again throw a spanner in the works with their excellent one-lap pace and consistent race performances.

READ MORE: Unstoppable Verstappen is a MAJOR PROBLEM for F1