Carlos Sainz disappointed: “I thought we could be in the fight for pole after free practice”
Despite a decent one-lap performance, Carlos Sainz is dreading the long stints at this Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix. With improvements judged to be satisfactory, he nevertheless remains cautiously hopeful for the race, while acknowledging the challenges posed by fast circuits with tight corners.
Qualified in sixth position on Saturday at the Spanish Grand Prix, behind Ferrari and beaten by three teams, Carlos Sainz is clearly disappointed with his result. A disappointment that had already begun on Friday in Free Practice.
« It was a challenge on Friday, I think for everyone because the track was really slippery, he explained to the media on Saturday after the qualifications. « It was very difficult to do laps with the wind and the high track temperatures. So, it was honestly a challenge all the way. »
According to him, the performance on one lap is not bad, but the Ferrari might struggle during the race. “It seems that in just one lap, we are reasonably OK, but over a long distance, we seem to have a bit more trouble, like last year,” he said. “So, let’s see if we can set up a better package for Sunday in particular. I think on one lap, we are doing well,” the Spaniard repeated.
Successful updates…
Ferrari introduced several updates this weekend in Spain. According to Carlos Sainz, the improvements made are conclusive.
We have definitely examined them and they all seemed to work well. Of course, the margins are tight, so a small package that works well could still make a difference. So, we are happy with how everything was delivered.
… But a disappointment in the qualifications.
During the free practice sessions, hope was palpable in the Ferrari garage. Carlos Sainz had been the fastest in Free Practice 3 and firmly believed in their ability to fight for pole position. However, the reality of qualifying offered a completely different picture, with Red Bull and McLaren unveiling their true potential as early as Q2.
He shared: « I thought we could be fighting for pole position after the free practice sessions. « But the reality is that from Q2, when Red Bull and McLaren started showing their cards, we were 2 or 3 tenths off the pace and we didn’t have enough today to challenge for it. » The impressive performances of his rivals were a real surprise, especially in the final moments of qualifying.”
Despite this disappointment, the ’55’ remains optimistic about the pace of their car. “I believe that this year, in terms of race pace, we are very close to Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull,” he stated. According to him, the tire degradation observed on Friday was not alarming and could play in their favor during the race. “The race will probably be a two-stop race, so we will have to play it smart at the start and with the strategy, and well, we will see,” he added, expressing some hope.
In contrast, he acknowledges that some circuits pose more challenges to Ferrari. « It’s a shame, because I think that these faster circuits with faster corners, from China, Japan, suit us less well », he concluded, noting a lack in their performance to fight for pole position on these specific tracks. He also admitted that McLaren seems better balanced and more competitive on all types of circuits.
