Carlos Sainz urges a reality check as Ferrari’s new upgrades yield expected results—but not the giant leap tifosi hoped for.
Ferrari’s home race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was anticipated with high hopes, especially with their new upgrade package. However, Carlos Sainz believes the expectations were blown out of proportion. ‘For some reason, everyone expected us to be flying this weekend with the new package,’ said Sainz. ‘I’ve been seeing numbers of our package going around that were completely out of reality.’
Ferrari’s upgrades covered multiple facets of their car, including the floor, wings, sidepods, and engine cover. The team had tested these enhancements at Fiorano, leading fans to believe Ferrari could challenge Red Bull, especially after McLaren’s performance leap in Miami.
Yet, Saturday’s qualifying session was a sobering reminder of the challenges. Charles Leclerc qualified fourth, two-tenths behind Max Verstappen, while Sainz was half a second shy in fifth. Despite not meeting sky-high expectations, Sainz felt the upgrades worked as intended. ‘It’s worked exactly as we expected,’ he affirmed.
‘Nowadays, already to bring a tenth is a good job by your team,’ Sainz noted, emphasizing that it’s unrealistic to expect massive gains. ‘I’m not saying we’ve brought one, two, or half a tenth, but not the numbers people were mentioning.’
Sainz also highlighted Ferrari’s struggles in particular sectors of the Imola track, which he predicted would favor McLaren. ‘We have come to a McLaren circuit, which is Imola, and I think it was always going to be difficult to beat McLaren around here,’ he said.
Sector one was especially troublesome for Ferrari, with Sainz puzzled by their four-tenths deficit. He attributed part of the struggle to a tailwind from Tamburello to Tosa affecting their handling, while another factor was Red Bull’s higher top speed, aided by a tow from Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg.
Charles Leclerc offered his own insights, suggesting Red Bull’s ability to aggressively take kerbs was a significant advantage. ‘We don’t understand what we are missing there [at Tamburello],’ he told Sky Sports Italy. ‘We tried many things but it’s always the same corners that penalize us.’
Despite the weekend’s outcome, Ferrari remains focused on understanding and improving their car’s performance. Leclerc acknowledged ongoing efforts to address their low-speed corner struggles. ‘It’s something we know and work on; it’s not something we discover now,’ he said.
In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, Ferrari’s quest to bridge the gap to the frontrunners continues. As the team refines their upgrades and strategies, managing expectations remains crucial for both the team and their ardent supporters.
