Carlos Sainz Jr, representing Ferrari, has his sights set on a top-three finish in the opening race of the Formula 1 World Championship, the Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite not achieving the progress he had hoped for in the final session, Sainz remains optimistic. Ferrari showed promise during free practice, emerging as Red Bull’s main competitor for pole position. However, Charles Leclerc settled for second place on the grid, trailing polesitter Max Verstappen by two-tenths of a second. Sainz, who finished fourth in qualifying, will start ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull car. Reflecting on the qualifying session, Sainz acknowledged the team’s strong performance in Q1 but expressed disappointment that the expected improvement in Q3 did not materialize.
Sainz explained that a later session start time resulted in less significant improvements on a track that was already cool. The variable wind also played a part in his difficulties.
Nevertheless, the Spanish driver remains confident that Ferrari has made the necessary progress over the winter to enhance their performance in races.
“I believe we are more or less there,” Sainz stated when looking ahead to the upcoming grand prix. “We have a chance at reaching the podium if we execute a flawless race.
“However, we will be starting on the dirty side of the track, and Checo will have new soft tires tomorrow, which will give him a two or three-second advantage. He will be very tough to beat.
“I think the Mercedes, us, the McLarens, and the Aston Martins all have similar pace. It will be an intriguing race.”
While Sainz aims for a podium finish, he is less optimistic about Ferrari’s ability to prevent Verstappen and Red Bull from securing their first victory of the season.
“Let’s wait until the race. That’s where they suddenly step up their game and showcase a level of degradation and race pace that no one else can match,” he commented on the reigning champions.
“Last year, if you look at the last eight races, we were always close to them in qualifying. This year, we felt we were within reach again in qualifying. As for the race, we’ll find out tomorrow.”
When asked if he believes this year’s Ferrari is a better foundation than the 2023 model, Sainz replied, “Yes, it’s a better foundation. It’s more predictable and we have a better understanding of it.
“Now we are prepared to fight for better results, hopefully, this year. However, the race pace of Red Bull yesterday still appears very strong.
“But, hopefully, we won’t take a step back in the race like we did last year with the Mercedes, McLarens, and Astons. Only tomorrow will tell.”