Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed that the team is still investigating a mysterious issue that led Carlos Sainz to smell fuel in the cockpit of his SF-24 during the early laps of the United States Grand Prix. The problem appeared suddenly but resolved itself after a few corners, allowing Sainz to regain his pace and finish the race in second place behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc.
At the start of the race, Sainz began from the third position, with Leclerc directly behind him on the grid. However, it was Leclerc who capitalized on the misfortune of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to take the lead early on. Sainz initially fell behind Verstappen and struggled with a power issue that left him with diminished acceleration out of corners, leading him to express concern over a fuel smell in the car.
Despite the unsettling start, Sainz managed to recover from the issue, but it cost him crucial time and the opportunity to utilize the Drag Reduction System (DRS) against Verstappen. He noted in a post-race press conference that the loss of power resulted in a gap that made it difficult to maintain competitive pace, ultimately hindering his chances of catching Leclerc for the win.
After pitting four laps earlier than Verstappen, Sainz was able to execute a successful undercut, putting Ferrari in a 1-2 position. He expressed a mix of disappointment and pride, stating that although he felt confident and quick after the pit stop, he was ultimately frustrated not to have secured the victory, acknowledging Leclerc’s strong performance throughout the race.
Vasseur, addressing Sainz’s fuel smell incident in the post-race briefing, noted the strangeness of the situation but indicated that the data did not reveal any underlying issues. Sainz concluded that his inability to overtake Verstappen in the early laps, especially when Leclerc was pulling ahead, was a decisive factor in his race, emphasizing the importance of track position in Formula 1 racing.