Carlos Sainz admitted that Ferrari is behind its competitors, despite its podium position at the Red Bull Ring. In the 2024 Formula 1 season, Sainz acknowledges that Ferrari’s rivals are ahead. However, he managed to secure third place at the Austrian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collided with only seven laps remaining. This was the fifth time Sainz finished in the top three this season.
At the start of the race, Sainz lost to Lewis Hamilton but was advised to give back the position due to concerns about a possible penalty for going off track at turn 1. Throughout the race, Sainz trailed behind Russell’s Mercedes, which was leading, until Norris and Verstappen suffered punctures due to the collision. Despite McLaren’s Oscar Piastri overtaking Ferrari and securing second place, Sainz maintained a comfortable advantage over Hamilton’s damaged Mercedes, which finished fourth.
When asked if he believed Ferrari had maximized its performance during the weekend in Austria, Sainz responded positively. He felt that the team performed well in qualifying and the Sprint race. Their goal was to surpass the Mercedes cars, and although they managed to overtake one of them, Sainz found himself behind the two Mercedes drivers. He was able to overtake Hamilton but struggled to keep up with George Russell, who had a slight pace advantage. Sainz believed Russell was the favorite to finish on the podium and eventually win. He acknowledged that Mercedes currently has a slight speed advantage over Ferrari, which has caused difficulties for them in recent races.
Sainz admitted that he did not offer strong resistance against Piastri in the last stages of the race. He acknowledged that he did not have enough pace to hold off the McLaren driver and settled for his fourth-place position, which effectively became second place after the Verstappen and Norris incident. Sainz mentioned that initially he was not aware of the situation and thought he was in second place. However, he realized that Piastri was closing in and it would be difficult to keep him behind. Therefore, Sainz decided to prioritize securing a podium finish instead of risking a battle with Piastri.
The recent difficulties for Ferrari persisted as the team’s SF-24 once again lagged behind the competition, with Sainz on track to finish behind a Red Bull, McLaren, and Mercedes.
When asked if his third-place finish indicated that Ferrari was back on track, Sainz responded, “I believe that if anything, it simply demonstrates that the past two weekends have not been easy. We consistently have been the first Ferrari to finish behind the leading Mercedes. Even if we include Canada, one could argue that this has been the case for three consecutive weekends. Therefore, it is evident that Red Bull and McLaren were in a league of their own this weekend. There was a difference, and George and I were fighting for third and fourth places. That was not the situation at the end of last year, which shows that we need to work diligently. We need to understand what happened in the past races. Once we have a clear understanding, I hope that by Silverstone, we can progress and improve our performance.”
Sainz reiterated that the team’s main weakness lies in high-speed corners, and it is crucial for the Maranello team to resolve this issue in order to compete with their rivals.
“I can see that the factory is making every effort to understand the challenges we have encountered in recent weekends. They are striving to bring a package to Silverstone that will allow us to have better performance in high-speed corners, as this has clearly been our weak point,” he explained. “Yesterday, Max was significantly faster in these corners. However, it wasn’t just Max; Mercedes and McLaren were also noticeably ahead of us in this aspect.”
© 2024
The world of sports is full of excitement and fierce competition. This year, we have seen some of the world’s best athletes push their limits and achieve great feats. From the surprising victory of an underdog to the breaking of a world record, there have been no shortage of thrilling moments for sports fans.
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Another sport that captivated the public’s attention was basketball. NBA stars showcased their talent and skill in every game. Fans cheered for incredible plays, three-pointers, and spectacular dunks. The rivalry between teams created thrilling moments and breath-taking finals.
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Sports provide us with moments of joy, excitement, and unity. It is a way to escape from routine and cheer for our idols. May there be more incredible moments in the coming year!
