After having a good start in his career with Ferrari, with the Monaco podium still in his memory, Sainz praises the effort that those commanded by Mattia Binotto have put into solving his greatest weakness.
Like Sergio Pérez, Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel, Yuki Tsunoda or Fernando Alonso, without forgetting the Haas duo, Carlos Sainz is one of the drivers on the Formula 1 grid that has embarked on a new challenge when approaching the 2021 season with a new team.
Two and a half years with the renowned Toro Rosso, his time at Renault and the subsequent jump to McLaren have made the # 55 a talent recognized by the paddock of the premier category of motorsport, a talent that the Madrilenian considers that he demonstrated from the beginning with Ferrari.
«I am quite happy, I had a great challenge ahead. I started off with confidence, and I must admit that I am quite proud of how everything is going. The speed has been there since the first race, something that reassured me a lot, because I confirmed that I could be very fast immediately with this car, ”Sainz analyzed.
“Doing everything right on the weekend was very difficult for me at the beginning; the speed was there, but I could hardly ever optimize everything in terms of qualifying, race strategy, tire management … I have improved in all of this in the last few races, little by little I am managing to be consistent with my performance, ”he continued.
Blessed heat
The Paul Ricard disaster set off all alarms in a Ferrari that still has not solved its biggest weak point: the tires. “If it’s hot like Silverstone or Austria, I think we can be more relaxed. Every time it’s cold and the car’s balance shifts towards the rear axle, our weaknesses become more apparent. This weekend the weather and track conditions shouldn’t – knock on wood – be a problem, ”Sainz explained.
The French GP was a before and after for the Italians, since «it caught us with the guard down»And forced them to turn the tables. “‘Okay, we have to fix this by approaching the problem quickly and aggressively,'” Sainz mused aloud, referring to the meetings, the analyzes and 3 intense days of work in which the simulator also came into play.
“The way the team reacted was impressive: seeing such a large team push in unison in the same direction, evaluating hypotheses and solutions … it was one of the most impressive sensations I have experienced in my sports career. As a driver I can’t do much more than give my opinion and precise details of how the car is doing, the engineers then take care of the rest, ”continued the Spaniard.
Finally, Sainz acknowledged that “I like the Hungaroring”, something that has materialized on the track because “I have always been at the points here in the past” with “cars that have preferred circuits less sensitive to power”, this time aiming to “go on vacation with a good feeling”, without thinking too much about their fight with McLaren for third place in the constructors’ championship.
«It is a fight that continues, it will be until the end of the season. We are very close in terms of performance, but as a team we have higher priorities than to beat McLaren for 3rd place in the constructors’ championship. We are not obsessed with fighting with them ”, closed Sainz.