Carlos Sainz has had a very strong season so far at Ferrari before he leaves to join Williams next year, partnering Alex Albon.
The Spaniard took two victories this year with a superb drive to the top step of the podium in Australia before another race win in Mexico.
He will be moving on to Williams quickly as he will drive for the team in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, although that has closed Sainz’s pathway to Red Bull for now.
He has consistently been in and around the top five as Ferrari have improved this season, the Italian team battling McLaren for the Constructors’ Championship.
Ferrari may be heading into the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend with some confidence after Charles Leclerc took pole position and finished second last year.
Karun Chandhok explained on Sky Sports F1 that he spotted a strange thing on Sainz’s steering wheel during second practice due to Las Vegas’ unique characteristics.
Karun Chandhok spotted the tyre temperature indicator on Carlos Sainz’s steering wheel
The Las Vegas Strip Circuit presents some very specific challenges for the teams and drivers as it is one of the colder races on the calendar.
The street track is very dusty in practice and the brakes take a lot of work to warm up due to the multiple long straights.
Turn 14 is particularly difficult at the Las Vegas Strip where the brakes cool down before being used heavily in the braking zone.
This makes it easy to lock up the front tyres as the tarmac rises over a crest before the apex towards the end of the lap.
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Chandhok spotted the brake temperature on Sainz’s steering wheel which he may not normally have on his display.
He said: “The brakes don’t work unless they’re up to 400 degrees. It was interesting to see there was a helmet camera shot there from Carlos Sainz we saw earlier.
“Not only on the dashboard or on the steering wheel did he have the tyre temperature, but this weekend, he seems to have the brake temperatures as well, which I don’t think is usual for him.
“I think they’re so mindful of trying to get the brakes in the right window. But because they’re trying to get the brakes in the right window is so important. It was interesting for Sainz and Ferrari there to put that on the steering wheel to have it at all times.”
Carlos Sainz should be leading Williams next year
Sainz will move to Williams next season which will be a significant step down the grid from contending for race wins at Ferrari.
He may be pushing for top 10 finishes and scoring points in 2025 which may take some getting used to for the Spaniard.
His teammate Albon has improved, and they should push the team up the grid after multiple seasons as backmarkers.
Mercedes and Red Bull overlooked him for potential seats but Sainz will have to focus on a new project further down the order.
