World Cup fight: Carlos Sainz believes in improving Ferrari / Formula 1

“It was clear to us: we have to be faster in the race than in qualifying. Not fast enough to win the Red Bull Championship, but fast enough to finish on the podium,” Carlos Sainz explained after the fourth round of the season, which took place on the Japanese rollercoaster of Suzuka. The team from Maranello was not wrong with this assessment either.

The Ferrari driver from Madrid achieved his 21st top-3 finish in Formula 1 at the Japanese GP: He crossed the finish line in third place behind Red Bull Championship duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. But he does not see that top position as unattainable, Sainz made it clear after the race.

The current fourth-placed player in the World Cup insisted with a view to the competition from Milton Keynes: “Of course you will have the lead in the first third of the season.” But the three-time GP winner is convinced that this could change quickly if Ferrari’s engineers improve.

“If we make one or two improvements, we can fight them regularly,” predicted the 29-year-old in the same breath. And he explained: “Maybe it will be too late for the title fight because they can have a big lead then. We need more races like Australia, but I don’t think a team like Red Bull Racing will make these mistakes often.”

But he himself has nothing to lose, Sainz added with the intention of saying goodbye to Ferrari after the current season. “This will be my last year with Ferrari and we will stop at nothing to fight to move forward.”

Japan-GP, Suzuka Circuit

01. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:54:23,566 h
02. Sergio Pérez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, +12.535 seconds
03. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, +20,866
04. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, +26,522
05. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, +29.700
06. Fernando Alonso (E), Aston Martin, +44,272
07. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, +45,951
08. Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren, +47.525
09. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, +48,626
10. Yuki Tsunoda (J), Bulls Racing, +1 Round
11. Nico Hülkenberg (D), Haas, +1 lap
12. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, +1 Round
13. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, +1 Lap
14. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), clean, +1 lap
15. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, +1 Round
16. Pierre Gasly (F), Alpine, +1 Round
17. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams, +1 Round
outside
Guanyu Zhou (RCH), Sauber, Elektrik
Alex Albon (T), Williams, Crash
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), Racing Bull, Crash

World Championship Standings (after 4 out of 24 Grands Prix)

the driver
01. Verstappen 77 points
02. Perez 64
03. Leclerc 59
04. Sainz 55
05. Norris 37
06. Plate 32
07. Russell 24
08. Alonso 24
09. Hamilton 10
10. Walk 7
11. Tsunoda 7
12. Oliver Bearman (GB) 6
13. Hulkenberg 3
14. Magnussen 1
15. Alboni 0
16. Zhou 0
17. Ricciardo 0
18. Okon 0
19. 0 gas
20. Bota 0
21. Sergeant 0

Builders Cup
01. Red Bull Racing 141 Punkte
02. Ferrari 120
03. McLaren 69
04. Mercedes 34
05. Aston Martin 33
06. Running Bull 7
07. Especially 4
08. Williams 0
09. Sauber 0
10. Alpine 0