Carlos Sainz expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the Ferrari Formula 1 car, emphasizing that it now allows him to push harder during races, a significant improvement from its struggles in the 2023 season.
In the recent Bahrain Grand Prix, Sainz secured the final podium spot, trailing behind the dominant Max Verstappen but closely chasing Sergio Perez’s Red Bull, finishing just two seconds adrift.
Compared to the same race last year, where Ferrari faced challenges with tire management and handling consistency, Sainz’s 25-second deficit to Verstappen this time around marked a notable improvement.
The SF-23’s race pace had been a concern throughout the previous season, particularly evident on tracks with more demanding characteristics.
However, Sainz expressed relief at the performance of the SF-24, Ferrari’s successor, highlighting its capacity to support a more aggressive driving style. This positive development suggests a promising outlook for Ferrari and Sainz in the upcoming races.
Sainz stated; “It’s a bit of a relief because the last race where I was attacking was Austria, and we’re talking about 13, 14 races ago.
“And then the rest of the races last year you just had to manage, look in the mirrors, control your pace. And there were very little opportunities to go and overtake people.
“I love going racing, and I love going overtaking, being aggressive, attacking. And with last year’s car, it was simply impossible to do that.
“I remember at the car launch saying this year I wish we had a car to go racing and attack people and don’t care too much about the tyres. And it’s exactly what we got.
“I got an attacking race, a really good race pace and from there everything felt really good to finish P3. I enjoyed it a lot.”
The Bahrain Grand Prix affirmed the anticipated dominance of Verstappen and Red Bull in their pursuit of another championship title this year. However, Sainz’s performance hinted at the potential for a more intense competition at specific races.
Notably, Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit emerged as a stronghold for Red Bull, setting the stage for potential battles in the upcoming races.
Sainz pondered; “The advantage of Red Bull in Bahrain is what you saw very, very clearly,
“I think it’s interesting how they can keep the C3 soft tyre alive for a bit longer than the rest, how they tend to overheat a bit less. Maybe that’s what makes the car also not as competitive in qualifying and so good in the race in a track like Bahrain.
“Now we need more samples, but I expect Red Bull always to be better in the race like they were last year.
“Look at the last eight races between Charles and me. We managed to do some pole positions, a lot of front rows, but then Max in the race was pulling away massively and Checo was always able to overtake us.
“I hope that this year’s trait is not as exaggerated and we’ve made a good step forward in that sense.”
