Carlos Sainz concedes that fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso currently has a better chance to win F1 races than him

Ferrari have been struggling in 2023. In a rather disheartening admission, Carlos Sainz said that Fernando Alonso has a better chance to win races than him.

Carlos Sainz concedes that fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso currently has a better chance to win F1 races than him

Fernando Alonso (L) | Carlos Sainz (R)

It’s safe to say that Ferrari are not off to an ideal start in 2023. Far from competing with Red Bull, they’re instead stuck groveling for position (P2) with Mercedes and Aston Martin and are losing out. Apart from the generally disappointing long-run pace, there’s also the question of their reliability or other issues. Charles Leclerc retired in two of the first three races. Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, was penalized in Australia, which meant he scored no points. Ferrari’s appeal was unsuccessful.

There is somewhat of a light at the ‘end’ of the tunnel, as from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Maranello team will bring in a series of upgrades. There will be no major upgrades in Baku, but they are expected to arrive in Imola and Barcelona. Just how much of a boost they provide to the current, rather disappointing SF-23, remains to be seen.

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Fernando Alonso has raised many eyebrows this season, and not only with his performances. The Spaniard has taken the F1 world by storm, as he’s finally back in a competitive car with Aston Martin. Many had doubted the wisdom of moving to Aston Martin and ditching Alpine, but his decision has proved correct. Currently, the Silverstone-based team are P2 in the standings.

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The 33rd victory has proven particularly elusive for the two-time world champion. The last time he won a race was more than 10 years ago, at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, almost 10 years ago. Despite this, Sainz thinks that, currently, Alonso has a better chance to win a race than he himself. The Ferrari driver said to Antena 3 Deportes: “I think Alonso’s 33 will come before my second victory,”  according to Motorsport Week.

Read More: ‘We expected much more,’ Carlos Sainz rues Ferrari’s dismal start to the 2023 F1 season

Carlos Sainz would be supporting Fernando Alonso if he was “at home”

Fernando Alonso (L) and Carlos Sainz (R)
Fernando Alonso (L) and Carlos Sainz (R)

It’s been glaringly obvious that Ferrari are on the backfoot, even in the fight for P2. Of the three rivals, Aston Martin seem to have the best package, but Mercedes were very competitive in Australia. Carlos Sainz cited the British team’s race-pace advantage as key in Fernando Alonso’s victory chances. The Spaniard said: “The Aston Martin is superior to the Ferrari in race trim, so he is closer to victory.”

But despite the fact that the two are now rivals, Alonso was Sainz’s idol. And it must be said, in most cases, you would rather have your compatriot winning rather than someone else. That is, of course, if you or your team can’t. So, the Ferrari driver conceded that he would support Alonso if he were at home. He said: “If I were at home watching F1, I would be supporting Fernando’s victory,”

Of course, he would rather win himself, but pretty obviously, Alonso has the better shot. Coming into Azerbaijan, this isn’t expected to change. According to reports, the upgrades Ferrari are bringing to Baku won’t fix the SF-23’s main issues. Still, it’s possible that the Prancing Horses perform better. They haven’t yet won an Azerbaijan GP, and even if they improve, they look unlikely to break this streak.

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