Carlos Sainz has come to the defence of his former McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who has faced criticism during his 2024 campaign for mistakes and perceived mental weaknesses.
Norris, who challenged Max Verstappen for the world championship, ultimately fell short as Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive title. Critics have pointed to the McLaren driver's errors and personality as key factors in the outcome.
In the Qatar sprint race on Saturday, Norris led before pulling over to allow teammate Oscar Piastri to take the win—a gesture reciprocating Piastri's actions in Brazil.
When asked about the move, Sainz applauded Norris' sportsmanship.
"They are teammates, so it's probably a little easier to do that between teammates," said Sainz. "But the truth is that they did well, and they also deserve credit for having given Oscar back his position from Brazil.
"It says a lot about Lando as a driver and as a person, despite the criticism he receives," Sainz continued. "People like to criticise what he does, but then the guy keeps delivering and is a gentleman on and off the track, so congratulations."
With the season nearing its conclusion, McLaren leads the constructors' championship, but Ferrari remains determined to close the gap.
"We have to focus on seeing how we can get ahead of them on Sunday," Sainz said, "although we will have to find at least two tenths with the soft tyre."
