It wasn’t the qualifying session Carlos Sainz anticipated. The earlier 12 months’s winner crashed into the limitations on the final nook early in Q3, severely damaging the rear of his Ferrari and inflicting a crimson flag.
Happily, he wasn’t bodily affected, solely feeling disappointment. Carlos Sainz acknowledged that the error was his and attributed it to a number of elements: the dearth of grip, a bump, and a contact of misfortune.
The Madrid-born driver defined that having to let some automobiles cross on the finish of the circuit hindered his lap preparation, leaving him with chilly tires as he approached the final nook.
“I used to be already on the chilly facet once I began my lap, and because it was Q3, I wished a great exit from the final nook. The issue was that I used to be a lot slower coming into in comparison with Q2 and Q1, and I wished to speed up earlier to make up that point; in any other case, I’d lose a tenth within the first straight earlier than even beginning the lap. I underestimated the dearth of grip with chilly tires there.”
“I used to be below strain, with one other automotive approaching from behind, and I knew from the out lap that I’d be slower in my lap.”
One other key issue, Carlos Sainz mentioned, was a bump on the curb at flip 17 that caught him off guard. He takes accountability and apologizes to the staff for his misjudgment. This weekend has been fully totally different in comparison with 2023, because the Ferrari driver famous: “It’s unusual how issues can change from one 12 months to the subsequent. However as we’ve seen many occasions this 12 months, getting the tires into the precise window on a lap with our automotive is… fairly tough.”
“I had a few first rate laps this weekend, however total I used to be very inconsistent. Yesterday, I had points with the brakes, which didn’t assist my weekend preparation. Right here, it’s about constructing confidence, making good laps from FP1 to Q3, and I didn’t do this this weekend. I struggled. I couldn’t discover my rhythm yesterday, and at present it was powerful to get the tires and brakes into the window.”
It’s been an uncommon weekend in some ways: Carlos Sainz identified that McLaren gave the impression to be hiding on Friday, with Norris enhancing by a second in FP3 in comparison with FP2, whereas “in Q3, they have been solely a tenth quicker than in FP3, which is sort of unusual.”
“There’s one thing odd, most likely, in tire preparation and the way a lot could be extracted from the tires this weekend, as a result of it’s not regular for there to be only a tenth between the quickest lap in FP3 and Q3.”
It’s been a day to neglect for the Maranello staff, particularly since Charles Leclerc will begin ninth as a result of his time being canceled for a monitor restrict violation. So, it’s a fifth row all in crimson, with each drivers hoping for a flip of occasions to contend for high positions.
“The automotive appears fairly broken, and I don’t know what we’ll do. I simply hope to have a traditional race tomorrow, discover the rhythm I had in Baku, and present good tempo. I consider that when we discover our rhythm in the course of the race, we must be fantastic. It solely took one lap with the tires’ magic to make the whole lot work—I imply, the error I made isn’t typical and exhibits that there’s a really, very fantastic line between having grip and never having it. This weekend has been like that. So tomorrow, as soon as I discover my rhythm, we’ll be there.”
Carlos Sainz additionally mentioned the much-debated tire challenge, expressing confusion about what’s taking place at some tracks the place the tires have been tough to handle. “5 to 10 levels beneath the optimum degree means zero grip. And sure, even 5 to 10 levels above, there’s no adhesion. So, discovering the precise window is essential.”
Regardless of the blow (each ethical and in any other case), he stays optimistic for tomorrow’s race, particularly with the added DRS zone in comparison with final 12 months.
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