International media: All praise for Sainz, a 1 for Verstappen

There is much praise in (especially) the Italian media for Carlos Sainz, who gave Ferrari their first win of the season in Australia. Therefore, after the feat in Melbourne, it is not understood why Ferrari is sidelining the Spaniard after this season. A summary of reactions from global media.

Corriere della Sera

The Italian media (naturally) applaud Sainz's victory after 'the emperor of Formula 1 Max Verstappen had to unexpectedly and abruptly stop his Red Bull', writes the Corriere della Sera. Whether Sainz would have won had the reigning world champion not retired "No one cares about that and let's enjoy the triumph of Sainz's victory."

The outlet believes Red Bull should seriously consider Ferrarii: "The team and the strongest car remain, but take note: Ferrari is serious, it's there, it's fast and it's dangerous," was the warning, then praising the Spanish winner. "Carlos Sainz is singing, and he does it well. He deserves it; thanks the team, the mechanics and engineers, he is doing it the way it should be done, which is nice. He was born with the right DNA, has the name of a champion, with his father winning everything in rallying. He's going to have a great season with Ferrari."

Gazzetta dello Sport

The Gazzetta spoke of a delightful way to wake up on Sunday after Sainz's win. "Ferrari rightly won and that should be celebrated," the pink sports newspaper stated. "There was another Red Bull on the track, Perez's, which failed, as well as two McLarens that would have caused much bigger problems a few months ago. The Red team has grown up, there is no doubt about that. And it demonstrated that at a track that puts tyre management to the test, until recently a delicate issue for Ferrari. It is the result of a lot of work: it is not enough yet, but it offers a glimpse of a bright future."

Daily Mail

In the British newspaper Daily Mail, drivers are awarded points after each Grand Prix. Winner Sainz gets a high score, namely 9. The medium praises the Spaniard for being able to brighten his comeback with a Grand Prix victory after an appendectomy barely a fortnight ago: "Some will take a bit of shine off his win given that Verstappen was a non-factor following his retirement but that would be grossly unfair. An impressive - and deserved - win and one that should send a signal to team principals throughout the paddock. Sign this man up for 2025."

Max Verstappen received the worst mark of all. The three-time world champion received a 1 from the British newspaper. "While he could have done very little to stop it, this went about as badly as it could have done for the world championship leader. He could have had a nightmare last night and this would still have been worse. His car caught fire inside three laps and there was nothing he could do from there."

Lewis Hamilton had to make do with a 2: "You just can't escape the feeling that this is going to be another miserable season for Hamilton in what is his finsl one at Mercedes."

Marca

Spanish newspaper Marca spoke of a "heroic victory for Sainz!". Indeed, the outlet opines, "Not Charles Leclerc, not Lewis Hamilton, but Carlos Sainz is the one to beat Max Verstappen. The Spaniard had a masterful race and took the 35th win in Formula 1 for Spain."

Marca cannot understand Sainz being pushed aside after this season in favour of Lewis Hamilton. "Just like in Singapore 2023, it is Sainz who beats the unbeatable Red Bull. If, like Hamilton, he had been a Briton, Sainz's achievement would have deserved a full documentary: a victory 15 days after undergoing surgery for appendicitis. In Maranello, the decision has been made to move on without their currently best driver. A driver who was already ahead of Leclerc in 2023 will be replaced by a driver who is on his decline. Hamilton dropped out, but before that was clearly driving behind George Russell. This again indicates that he is no longer the undisputed number one at Mercedes. This is not a decision on sporting grounds, but one from a commercial point of view."