Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz believes that his victory at the Marina Bay street circuit in the Singapore Grand Prix demonstrated that “Ferrari is capable of achieving an excellent result even under pressure.”
The perfectly executed race weekend by Ferrari was an example of maximizing their technical capabilities.
Reflecting on his season, Carlos Sainz believes that the weekend showcased that the team has what it takes to perform under pressure.
Carlos Sainz’s comments:
“At 100 percent. It has to influence the [balance, editor’s note] of the year because it’s not like we had many chances to win a race this year,” replied the Spaniard when asked if the Singapore result had changed his outlook on a challenging year for Ferrari.
“The fact that we seized it and didn’t waste a single opportunity, maximizing FP1, FP2, FP3, qualifying, Q1, Q2, Q3, and the race, I think it was a great result. Not just for me but also for the team, to show that when the opportunity arises next year, we’ll be able to win,” he said.
Carlos Sainz explained that the Scuderia felt particular pressure in Singapore: “We were under a lot of pressure that weekend because it was our only track where we could possibly fight for a win, along with Las Vegas.”
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“But we didn’t know that at the time. The fact that we maximized everything, performed well, didn’t make mistakes under pressure, and put together that weekend, I think it’s a great demonstration that next year we will be able to achieve things if we have a good car,” he added.
Does the “cure” by Fred Vasseur work?
One of the main challenges for the new Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur was to improve how the team operates, aiming to get the most out of the package the Scuderia has.
Carlos Sainz believes that the team has made strides in this regard: “I think we are aware of the package we have, and now we put it on the track and try to maximize it every weekend. And I believe we are doing a much better job.” – he pointed out.
The Spaniard, in conclusion, finds it difficult to comprehend the inconsistency of SF-23’s competitiveness: “It’s not easy because it’s mentally challenging to understand how in Las Vegas, we can beat Red Bull by three tenths and fight for the victory, but then in Brazil, find ourselves a second off in race pace.”
“It’s almost incredible that these performance swings can happen. Now we have to focus on ensuring we have more [races like, editor’s note] Singapore and Vegas next year,” – Carlos Sainz concluded.
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