Sainz finished the Bahrain podium race considerably behind the all-conquering Max Verstappen, but just two seconds behind Sergio Perez’s second Red Bull.
Sainz’s 25-second lead over Verstappen was half of the distance from the same race a year prior, when Ferrari’s problems with handling and tyre management were already apparent.
A recurring topic during the previous season was the SF-23’s slow race speed in comparison to its far more competitive one-lap performance, especially on the more difficult courses. Sainz considered it a “relief” because he could now finally be proactive with its replacement, the SF-24.
“It’s a bit of a relief because the last race where I was attacking was Austria, and we’re talking about 13, 14 races ago,” Sainz stated.
“The remaining races from the previous year simply required you to keep your cool, check yourself in the mirror, and manage your speed.” Furthermore, there weren’t many chances to pass people by.
“I enjoy going racing, as well as passing, pursuing, and attacking. And it was just not possible to achieve that with the car from previous year.”I recall expressing during the vehicle introduction that I wished we had a car this year so we could go racing, attack people, and not worry too much about the tires. And we obtained it precisely.”I had an aggressive race with a great pace, and I felt great the rest of the way to finish third. I really liked it.”
Bahrain supported predictions that Verstappen and Red Bull will easily win another championship this year, but Sainz’s fast lap time indicated that there may be more room for conflict at other races, with Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit being especially favorable to Red Bull.
“The advantage of Red Bull in Bahrain is what you saw very, very clearly,” Sainz reflected.
“I find it intriguing that the C3 soft tire tends to overheat a little less frequently than the others and can last a little longer than the others. Perhaps this is the reason the vehicle performs so well in the race at a track like Bahrain but is less competitive in qualifying.
“Now we need more samples, but I expect Red Bull always to be better in the race like they were last year.”See the past eight races that Charles and I have participated in. Even though we had several front rows and pole positions, Max was steadily moving away from us throughout the race, making it impossible for Checo to pass us.”
“I hope that this year’s trait is not as exaggerated and we’ve made a good step forward in that sense.”
