Carlos Sainz says the variable factors in other sectors has raised questions over Ferrari’s race execution after changes made.
Ahead of the start of the F1 2023 season, Ferrari new team boss Frederic Vasseur made changes to the pitwall especially on the strategists side. Further changes within various departments has continued but the major one to be discussed was related to the pitwall.
Since the start, though, the focus has largely been on the lack of pace and inconsistency from Ferrari which overshadowed the pitwall changes until Monaco where certain choices especially on the side of Sainz flared up due to his radio calls.
When asked, the Spaniard notes that the changes made are constant progress with the things that they are doing. The general lack of pace and performance has raised questions over race execution where they are limited by choices.
Sainz is not alone in this as fans have even petitioned to remove Charles Leclerc’s race engineer for constant goof-ups. “I would say that department is in constant progress and we’re doing, I think, a lot of progress,” said the Spaniard.
“It just hasn’t been an easy year for us. When you spend the whole year starting further up on the grid from where you are actually… where your normal race pace is, which is normally… Our race pace this year has been a bit worse than our qualifying pace, then there’s always going to be doubts and criticism about our race execution.
“Because you’re always kind of, because of the pace of the car, going a bit backwards, and I think that makes this first seven races a bit more difficult to assess and judge. I do feel the team is doing everything they can and we can to be as strong as possible on that department but I… like always in everything in every aspect there’s margin of improvement and we’re doing it,” summed up Sainz.
Here’s Carlos Sainz on Barcelona, Madrid
Here’s latest on Laurent Mekies
Here’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz being disappointed with results
Here’s 2024 F1 tyre testing with Mercedes, Ferrari