Madrid driver Carlos Sainz has recognized that, until improvements come to close the gap with Red Bull, it will be difficult to stay at the top. The Ferrari driver, winner of the Australian GP two weeks ago, is confident of the advances and improvements that the SF-24 can have in the coming weeks and “Hopefully we can challenge them more often,” he said in statements reported by ‘ Autosport’.
The Spaniard’s victory in Australia and the absence of two Red Bulls on the podium opened the door to hope for the Scuderia de Maranello. The abandonment of Max Verstappen in the first laps of the Grand Prix and the fifth place of Sergio Pérez, away from Sainz and Leclerc, was a blow to the table for Ferrari.
However, the Spanish driver, the only one to dethrone the world champion in the last races, still does not feel equal to Red Bull. In fact, he admits that, until improvements come for the SF-24, it will be difficult to experience a situation like the one in Australia again.
“Our car performed very well last weekend. But it will be difficult to keep it there in every circuit until we bring an improvement to close the gap we saw in Bahrain and Jeddah,” Sainz acknowledged.
“There will be circuits where we are strong, as we saw last year. And this year our race pace seems to be better even in the circuits where we are stronger. And together with a good development program, I hope we can challenge to Red Bull more often,” added Carlos.
Some improvements are beginning to be seen, on a smaller scale, in Japan. But we will have to wait until Imola, with the arrival of Formula 1 in Europe, to see the full package of updates. So they reserve the first main course of the season for the event in Emilia Romagna.
Sainz also commented that Verstappen’s premature abandonment in Melbourne was “a shame. I feel like I can keep up with him on the first lap and try to catch the DRS, just to make sure… the DRS here is too strong. Then He lost the car in turn 3 and I had a chance to get close and try to overtake. And then, once behind him, I think he started having brake problems and that was it for him,” said Sainz. “A shame, because I think we will have a good fight for the first position,” the Spaniard confessed in closing.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
