F1: THEY’RE BACK!: Ferrari end 45-race winless streak – Gulf Digital News

F1: THEY’RE BACK!: Ferrari end 45-race winless streak – Gulf Digital News

Charles Leclerc’s pole to flag victory, with fastest lap, was a first for the Maranello team since Singapore 2019 when four times world champion Sebastian Vettel led Leclerc in a one-two.

“Ferrari is back and it’s properly back, with a one-two and where the team should have been the last two years,” said Sainz, who passed world champion Max Verstappen’s stricken Red Bull before it retired.

“The hard work is paying off and we are there.”

Ferrari have not won a title since 2008 and slumped to a 40-year low of sixth overall in 2020 before moving back up to third last season.

Team boss Mattia Binotto said the one-two was a relief, and a big boost, but also an unexpected outcome on a day that ended in a nightmare for Red Bull with Sergio Perez also failing to see the chequered flag.

Verstappen had challenged Leclerc for the lead while Perez was heading for the podium before mechanical issues sidelined both.

Binotto – in one of the hottest of hot seats in world sport – said the closing stages of the race, with a safety car deployment 10 laps from the end, had almost given him a heart attack on the pit wall.