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

The Scuderia have endured their worst-ever start to a season since 2010, with only 26 points from the first three races.

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

Carlos Sainz

The initial phase of the season has been unforgiving to Ferrari, who have been a cut below the rest of their competitors. The team has suffered a variety of misfortunes, upsetting the drivers and fans alike. They look to be struggling to find form and stability, which has been a recurring theme amongst them for the last couple of seasons. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc hope to win the title but they have not yet even stepped on the podium!

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Sainz gave his thoughts on his team’s start. He admitted: “The truth is that it has not been an easy start to the season. Everyone at Ferrari expected much more; having been fighting for pole positions and wins last year, I think we went into the races with that intention,” highlighting the contrast between the prior season and the current.

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Sainz also admitted that the team underestimated the stiff competition they would face, and the need to work harder to compensate for it, stating: “We have been surprised by how quick the Red Bull is and how other teams like Aston Martin have improved. We have to work hard at the factory in Maranello, bring improvements to get back on the podium and fight for victory.”

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Carlos Sainz has suffered an adverse start to the season

Carlos Sainz via the Express Star
Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021, with aspirations to win a world title with the revered team from Maranello. However, his career so far with the Scuderia has been in stark contrast to his dreams and goals. 2021 was good, but in 2022, he struggled to establish himself, with his teammate Charles Leclerc trumping him on most occasions, especially on the team’s better days.

The Spaniard has also been highly prone to making mistakes and crashed out on multiple occasions in qualifying and on race days. He has struggled to adapt to being a consistent challenger at the front. Given the fact that Ferrari’s current package is disappointing, and even their car development sub-par, his hopes of winning a title with them seem bleak and distant.

He is currently being overshadowed on performance by Leclerc, who seems to extract far more from the car than him. In pre-season, Sainz admitted Ferrari believed that they had built a car devoid of reliability issues, and believed that they were prime title contenders. However, they suffered an engine failure in Bahrain, and are currently fourth in the standings. Obviously, they want to win races and championships. In 2023, their chances of doing that are not particularly encouraging.

The Spaniard’s 2023 season has been unyielding and ruthless so far. He has accumulated only 20 points, 49 shy of the leader. He’s P5 in the championship standings, and he has not yet even stepped on the podium! In Jeddah, he struggled to maintain a consistent pace and only managed a P6. Melbourne was even worse, as he was penalized for causing a collision with Fernando Alonso on the second safety car restart. This unraveled what could have been a good result.

He was given a 5-second penalty, which considering that there were no more racing laps, meant he dropped out of the points. Ferrari sought to appeal this decision, seeking he be reinstated to P4, but it did not work. Sainz and the team evidently underestimated the competition they would face, which is a sin in a sport frequently subject to unpredictability. Despite their shortcomings, they aim to make a resurgence to the top of the grid and squeeze the likes of Red Bull.

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