Carlos Sainz believes that Ferrari’s chances of defeating Max Verstappen in the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix have been strengthened by both cars starting at the front of the grid. After a dip in performance in China, Ferrari returned to form in the scorching conditions at the Miami International Autodrome, qualifying in second and third place. Despite Verstappen failing to improve on his last run, Sainz and teammate Charles Leclerc were unable to find the extra time needed to overtake the Red Bull driver for pole position. Sainz, who had previously expressed concerns about his car’s setup, made positive adjustments that helped him secure third place on the grid. However, he acknowledged that the unusual track conditions resulted in many drivers setting their fastest times in the initial runs of Q3. Sainz described the challenge of putting together a clean lap as extremely difficult, with small mistakes preventing him from achieving an even faster time. Despite this frustration, he believes that the tight margins and progress made by Ferrari put them in a good position for the race tomorrow.
Leclerc kept Verstappen on his toes in the Sprint race, and Sainz believes that having both Ferrari cars starting ahead of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull gives them the best opportunity to challenge. Sainz acknowledges that it’s always difficult to beat Max when he starts in front, but having two cars gives them a better chance. Despite the challenging statistics, Ferrari is determined to give it their all.
One potential opportunity to disrupt Verstappen could be at the start of the race, but Sainz believes that the field has become more evenly matched in terms of start-line performance. In the past, there were noticeable differences, but now everyone gets off the line at a similar pace, making it difficult to gain an advantage.
Sainz also feels that Pirelli could have been more aggressive with their tyre selections for this grand prix. He believes that the tyre compounds are on the conservative side, and softer compounds with more strategic variability could have made a difference. However, he doesn’t expect much deviation from last year’s race in terms of tyre strategy.
During the Sprint race, Sainz’s chances were hindered when Daniel Ricciardo overtook him on Lap 1. Sainz attributes this to a straight-line speed deficit, which made it challenging for him to pass the Red Bull. He believes that the set-up of the car plays a role in overtaking, as there are trade-offs between downforce, power unit settings, and other factors. Ricciardo and Honda had strong acceleration out of low-speed corners, making them difficult to overtake.
Sainz admits that the Red Bulls are more favorable to Honda power units, but he also feels that starting behind Daniel in the race was a result of a mistake in the Sprint qualifying. He expects a better race tomorrow, as they will be fighting against cars with similar downforce and top speed levels. This should level the playing field and give Ferrari a better chance.