Carlos Sainz is currently in his last season driving for Ferrari.
Carlos Sainz has accused the F1 media of overhyping Ferrari’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix upgrades, insisting the improvements were never going to allow the team to “kill” the opposition at Imola.
Ferrari arrived at their first home race of the F1 2024 season armed with a major upgrade package – featuring changes to the sidepods, floor and rear wing – in an attempt to close the gap to Red Bull.
Carlos Sainz: Ferrari Imola upgrade ‘smaller than people think’
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Although Sainz‘s team-mate Charles Leclerc set the pace in two of the three practice sessions at Imola, the Ferraris could only manage fourth and fifth on the grid with Leclerc more than two tenths adrift of Max Verstappen’s time for pole position, though both will move up a place thanks to a three-place penalty for Oscar Piastri.
Sainz, the winner of the Australian Grand Prix, confidently stated that Ferrari’s improvements had performed precisely as anticipated in the team’s simulations, despite an initially underwhelming performance.
He criticized the media for fabricating figures that were “completely detached from reality” regarding the new package.
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He informed the media, including PlanetF1.com, that it has performed precisely as we had anticipated.
“Curiously, there was an anticipation among everyone that we would be soaring this weekend with a fresh package. Lately, I’ve come across figures regarding our package that were utterly detached from current reality.”
Bringing a tenth is commendable work done by the team. I want to clarify that we haven’t just brought one, two, or half a tenth, but we have not achieved the numbers that people were suggesting.
Considering this, the task of taking a jump this weekend was bound to be challenging due to the ongoing car upgrades happening in this area.
When requested to provide a more precise estimation of Ferrari’s upgrade value, he responded by stating, “I am not permitted to disclose that information, which is why I am unable to specify.”
By indicating that the numbers were disproportionate, I have provided you with sufficient information to figure out the password on your own.
However, I believe that the car has improved from its previous state in Miami.
“We have observed an increase in downforce, indicating that our systems are functioning effectively. However, it is still insufficient for a track that does not particularly suit our vehicle.”
Upon encountering the track and experiencing it through the simulator, it became evident to me that Imola was suited for McLaren and Red Bull cars.
After the session, Sainz reiterated his belief in an interview with Sky F1 that expecting Ferrari’s upgrade to instantly transform them into contenders for victory at Imola, as McLaren experienced in the previous race in Miami, was unrealistic.
He clarified, “I understand that both the media and the public may feel let down because they had the expectation of ‘new car, new life’.”
“However, I was aware that the figures provided in the new package were insufficient to achieve an immediate jump to P1, similar to McLaren’s performance in Miami or at this location.”
“I made consistent efforts throughout the week to communicate through media that our upgrade was actually smaller than perceived. However, it seemed that people were skeptical and still anticipated a significant impact from us today.”
“I always believed that the upgrade is smaller.”
“I am unable to disclose the exact figures, but rest assured that if I were to reveal them, they would undoubtedly astonish you.”
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