Carlos Sainz’s F1 struggles continue following Ferrari’s abysmal start to the 2023 season

Carlos Sainz voiced his frustration with Ferrari’s inadequate start to the 2023 Formula One season, calling it one of the most grueling moments of his career. The Spaniard began the current race calendar by finishing 4^th, just missing out on a podium to his fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso. At the same time, his teammate Charles Leclerc retired with a mechanical issue.

In the following race at Jeddah, Sainz took the chequered flag in 6^th place, while finishing out of the points at Melbourne due to being subject to a penalty. He stated prior to the Australian Grand Prix, “For sure it’s one of the toughest moments – [I’m] not going to lie. This year, we expected at least to find ourselves in a similar position but unfortunately, there’s a team named Red Bull that has killed the opposition coming up with a car that is clearly superior to everyone else”

He went on to finish P12 at Melbourne after a last-lap penalty. He is fighting not just his rivals in 2023, Sainz fights this season include his poor luck, and strategic mistakes from him and his team. Carlos currently stands at 20 points- 49 behind leader Max Verstappen and will have to hope for some significant developmental breakthroughs at Ferrari, should the team hope to compete for podiums and wins along with the likes of Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Red Bull. Time might be running out for him to prove his worth at Ferrari as, unlike in the case of Charles Leclerc, the Italian team won’t hesitate to show the Spaniard the door if he underachieves.

When Saniz left McLaren to join Ferrari three years ago, they were consistently feeling cars that were capable of winning if the drivers were able to extract the best from the cars. He finished P6 in the championship in his debut year and saw an impressive Verstappen-Hamilton fight for the championship. In 2022 Ferrari was the chamoisohip contender, but Sainz failed to impress once again while his teammate Leclerc struggled due to blunder strategies. He scored his first and only win in F1 that year at Silverstone. But the inconsistency cost him as he finished P5 at the championship table while his teammate scored P2. The 2023 season doesn’t seem to be the redemption year he was hoping for.

Related: Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur calls out FIA for giving Red Bull a “very light” cost cap breach penalty

Ferrari has a lackluster start to the 2023 season

The team from Maranello has struggled in recent times and has been unable to cope with the likes of Championship leaders Red Bull. Ferrari has accumulated a mere 26 points, their lowest tally since 2010. They currently sit 4^th in the Constructor’s standings and seem far from competing for wins as they did at the premiere of the previous season, attributed to a combination of penalties, reliability issues, and a general lack of pace.

This has become a regularity for the team, as they have struggled to compete with the other top teams since 2021. The 2021 season showed a significant improvement to the prior, with a 3^rd place finish in the Constructor’s World Championship. However, they weren’t in the same league as Mercedes or Red Bull, which they seemed confident of changing in 2022.

The following season started very positively for them, with a strong 1-2 finish in the first race. In the following few races, they displayed exemplary pace, firmly establishing themselves as contenders for the title. This did not last long, however, due to the sheer frequency of strategy errors coupled with reliability issues. Eventually, they were overwhelmed by the likes of Red Bull, who went on to be crowned champions.

Changes were then brought about with respect to management, with team principal Mattia Binotto being replaced by Frederic Vasseur. The Scuderia looked strong at pre-season testing, providing hope for a season where they would contend for the championship. Once again, reliability issues and penalties have seemed to get in the way, with the team struggling to finish on the podium, as well as finishing point-less at Melbourne.

The expectations of a team with a rich, successful history like Ferrari are bound to be immense, with the drivers, as well as the Tifosi, always demanding more. They will undoubtedly channel their focus into recovering from this sluggish start in the coming weeks. Carlos Sainz’s frustration at the team and himself failing to meet standards is justified, as they are an institution that always aspires to victory. He earned his first win at Silverstone in 2022 and will surely look to do so again this season, as he works in harmony with the team toward success.

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