Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was recently interviewed by Spanish newspaper Marca. A long discussion with Spanish journalist Marco Canseco during which the Ferrari man talked about the difficult start to the 2023 Formula 1 season, his lack of feeling with the SF-23 car and the impact of the upcoming car updates.
Carlos Sainz was also asked about his relationship with Fernando Alonso, given the fact that the Spanish drivers were involved in two incidents in this start of the season, as well as his relationship with his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc and new Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur.
Here is the full interview of Carlos Sainz for Marca:
Is this a turning point in the season for Ferrari?
Carlos Sainz: “First, it was a pre-start, with the first races, and now the upgrades are starting to arrive and you could say that the season is starting a bit. It has been a tough start, with a very strong team like Red Bull, and it is relatively unexpected, because a team as superior as Red Bull was not expected. And at Ferrari, although the results have not been a disaster, we all expected a little more.”
Ferrari hoped to at least be the second team in this start of 2023.
Carlos Sainz: “It’s not so much the first, the second, but where you are. If you’re fighting to win every race or to take pole position…and it turns out that in the first three races, we were half a second off the pace. With different ride heights, they have taken a big step forward, and you go into the races knowing that they have many options to dominate, which was not the case in 2022. In Baku, a change of trend was seen with Charles’ two poles and there are still 18 races ahead and five sprints, so this is just the beginning, we have to keep motivation very high, the season is very long.”
Do you think that with different drivers and different moments, there are different criteria when it comes to sanctions by the stewards, especially regarding what happened in Australia?
Carlos Sainz: “I’m not going to get into the disparity, depending on who commits the action…but I do believe that there is disparity in decisions. I won’t get into who commits the action, because I think that’s getting into a swampy and accusatory territory, which I don’t like. But I do think that there are places where they look very closely, as happened in Australia, and in others they don’t. I don’t think it’s consistent and professional enough as this sport should be. That’s why I was angry in Australia, where I believe the penalties were not well-adjusted.”
Why?
Carlos Sainz: “Because I think a 5-second penalty, with only two laps remaining and under safety car, is not the same as a 5-second penalty on the first lap when you have an hour and a half to make up for it. In what happened to me, I didn’t even have the opportunity. I’m still angry about what happened, how the penalty was applied, and how I was excluded from the race for a minor incident.”
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Do you consider everything that happened to be over?
Carlos Sainz: “No, not really. I haven’t forgotten about it and I don’t go to bed every day thinking about it, as I did three nights after the race. Weeks have passed, and time heals everything, but there are certain things that I would like to improve and demand changes, and this is a perfect example.”
And despite not having the 12 points that were yours, you’re not that far behind Hamilton, for example.
Carlos Sainz: “No, I am uneasy with my start of the season. But it’s better than 2022 and my feelings are better.”
There’s talk of the changes that are coming to Ferrari, especially from Imola onwards. Will it be a car capable of winning races?
Carlos Sainz: “To be honest, it’s a complicated car and it has given me some headaches in these first races, hence the changes we’ve been making in the setups.”
But is it complicated in terms of handling or reliability?
Carlos Sainz: “More in handling than in reliability. It’s true that there was a problem (with the engine) in the first race, but it’s more about the handling. We’ve found things in the car that we don’t quite like and we’re trying to compensate for them. A very aggressive plan has been implemented in Maranello to turn the year around. Nobody is happy at the factory, nor proud, nor happy, but there is an attitude and a desire to improve that I haven’t seen in a long time. And I like to see it, I like to see a factory so focused on the project, in such an aggressive way, and I want to encourage them because I know they’re doing a very intense job for it.”
There’s a lot of talk about the 33rd victory, but you got it at Silverstone last year…
Carlos Sainz: “The Spanish 33rd (laughs heartily).”
Could it be that your achievement is not being properly appreciated? You were here in the two years that Fernando Alonso was not (2019 and 20), starting your own path of success, with many podiums in McLaren and Ferrari and then the first victory. Do you think you are not getting all the credit you have earned on the track?
Carlos Sainz: “I don’t know if I am getting the credit, but I feel supported by a large part of the fans. I think I have been respected and always treated with affection, even by the Spanish press, so I have no complaints. I am realistic and always try to put myself in the shoes of others… If I were at home watching Formula 1, I would also be supporting Fernando. In the end, he’s the one who won the two championships… He made me get to F1, he made me fall in love with this sport. And if it weren’t for him, maybe I would be at home, tuning in to the races to see Fernando’s 33rd victory. If I were in that position, I would be one of them… But now there is another Spanish driver, who is also in Ferrari, the best team of all time, and who is giving everything to win his second, the 34th for Spain, and who is also happy when Fernando does well. I am also going to rely on this wave of fans who have come back to follow F1 and who make me feel very proud to be Spanish.”
Has the surge of people who perhaps hadn’t watched races in a long time surprised you?
Carlos Sainz: “I think Formula 1 has been on the rise for several years. In other countries, not just in Spain, I have noticed a radical change, especially from before the Netflix era to now. ‘Drive to Survive’ has made a big change for everyone. But it is also true that this year, with Fernando in a competitive car, has surely brought back the excitement to many people and I think, in passing, the excitement for me to win. I think people want to see both of us up there.”
There are also more eyes on you now.
Carlos Sainz: “Yes, that’s why I see it as something positive. If I win any Sunday, it will be good for all the fans.”
This weekend you found yourself on the track with him again, especially in the Sprint, and after Alonso complained that you had closed him off, there was a lot of commotion about the reaction of both of you. You spoke with him before the national anthem on Sunday, can the fans be reassured?
Carlos Sainz: “There is no problem between Fernando and me despite what some have tried to make it seem. Our relationship is still very good and it is not the first or the last battle we will have on the track. It is normal for some actions to be closer than others but with the visor down we all want the same thing and we fight for what is ours. That’s the beauty of racing and as long as there is respect among all the drivers, there will be no problem.”
Is Sainz’s second victory in Formula 1 close?
Carlos Sainz: “In Baku, I didn’t have my best weekend. Charles’ pole position gave good vibes to the team and great motivation because since Australia, we have been going in the right direction. I had a great pace in that race, and Charles had it here, but we still need to improve our race pace, which is our weak point. I hope to find my pace again in Miami because this is not what I expect from myself. I think the second victory is close, but I think we need some help, in quotes, from Red Bull. I think last year we didn’t need it; we could win by car… I think we can beat them in some races this year. I think I can win a race this year because there are still many types of circuits. I don’t know when, but it’s possible.”
And things are not going so badly for you at Ferrari (he currently is the first Ferrari in the World Championship) as was written this winter with the arrival of Fred Vasseur, who was supposed to benefit Charles Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz: “The track is what matters, we shouldn’t jump the gun. I can say that I have a very good relationship with him (Vasseur) and for Charles and me, the priority is to return Ferrari to victory. When two drivers have that in their minds, the personal fight takes a back seat. I can assure you that the amount of hours we are putting into the simulator, in meetings with engineers, in every detail to push Ferrari forward, Fred likes it and it leaves him at ease.”
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