Carlos Sainz Jr, the Spanish driver for Ferrari, expressed his relief at delivering an impressive performance and securing a podium finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which marked the start of the Formula 1 season. Despite being outperformed by his teammate Charles Leclerc in qualifying, Sainz showcased his determination and skill during the race, ultimately finishing in third place. Although he trailed the race winner, Max Verstappen, by 25 seconds, Sainz managed to keep Sergio Perez in his sights, remaining just two-and-a-half seconds behind the second-placed Red Bull driver. After initially dropping to fifth position at the start, Sainz had to overtake both Leclerc and George Russell from Mercedes in order to secure his “significant” podium finish for Ferrari. Reflecting on his performance, Sainz emphasized the importance of starting the season strongly and expressed his desire to race aggressively without worrying too much about tire management or defending his position. He was pleased with the attacking nature of the race and the overall pace of his car, ultimately enjoying a straightforward and satisfying race en route to his third-place finish.
After the news broke that Lewis Hamilton will be joining Ferrari in 2025, Carlos Sainz finds himself with a point to prove in order to secure his future in the sport. Sainz’s impressive performance in Bahrain caught the attention of many in the paddock, especially after struggling to make progress during the latter stages of the 2023 season.
“It’s a relief, to be honest,” Sainz said during the post-race press conference. “I remember the last race of last year in Austria, where I was able to attack. But after that, it was all about managing the race. There were very few opportunities to overtake and you had to control your pace. With last year’s car, it was simply impossible to be aggressive and make overtakes. As soon as we encountered dirty air or overheated the tires, it was game over.”
“But this year, on the most rear limited track with high degradation, being able to overtake and attack feels like a relief. It gives me hope that we can do this more often throughout the season.”
However, Sainz acknowledges that he won’t be able to replicate this level of performance consistently due to Ferrari’s strength in qualifying. “It doesn’t mean we will achieve this in every race because our car’s strongest aspect is still qualifying. We might qualify higher than our true position, but at least we won’t be degrading and defending like crazy as we did last year.”
When asked if he and Ferrari can be a serious contender to Red Bull in the 2024 Formula 1 season, Sainz replied, “I hope we can, but I think we still have a long way to go before we can challenge them for race wins. If they put everything together perfectly, it will be difficult for us. However, the base of our car this year, the aero platform, and how it feels and drives, is much more normal compared to last year. If we continue to add downforce to the car, I believe we can get closer to them. But we need to start now, or else they will pull away.”