Carlos Sainz urges Ferrari to accept that the team cannot fight for podiums consistently in 2023
Carlos Sainz has failed to achieve a single podium so far this season.
Carlos Sainz (image via Planet Sport)
Scuderia Ferrari had high expectations heading into 2023 under the leadership of new Team Principal Fred Vassuer. However, things have not gone as planned for Maranello, as the Italian team has fallen behind rivals such as Mercedes and Aston Martin. Carlos Sainz has admitted that it’s time for the Scuderia to accept its place in the pecking order.
Sainz reckoned that the tight margins in the fight for second in the championship resulted in close competition between Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin, and McLaren. The Spaniard acknowledged that it’s time for the Scuderia to admit that it is in a tough battle this season. He told Motorsports.Com, “The end result looks very different in Ferrari when you come back with a P3 or P8. And now we just need to kind of accept that’s the fight that we are in.”
Carlos Sainz highlighted the fact that if the Italian team manages to get the most out of a race weekend and finishes outside the podium, it should still be seen as a victory for the efforts at Maranello. The 28-year-old said, “If one weekend we need to go and fight for P5. And that’s the maximum we can do, we need to celebrate the fact that we’ve done the maximum. With what we have this year.”
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Carlos Sainz is yet to get a podium in 2023
The 28-year-old has struggled with the SF23 this season. Sainz has failed to get a single podium in 2023 despite coming close to finishing P3 at the Australian GP. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc has managed to get three podium finishes this year and even a pole position at the Azerbaijan GP. Although, only seven points in the standings separate the two Ferrari drivers.
The Spanish driver accepted that the team knew it was a difficult season ahead for Maranello. After Red Bull’s massive lead came to light, nevertheless, Ferrari has been trying to close the gap to Milton Keynes will significant upgrades this year, including the abandonment of its sidepod designs to mimic the design concept of the RB-19.
Thus, Carlos Sainz has clarified that Ferrari needs to accept its place in the pecking order. The 28-year-old believed that even if the team failed to get a podium despite having a good race weekend, then that result was nothing short of a victory. Although, it remains to be seen if the Scuderia can fight for victory in the second half of the season.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2329 Articles Published)