Canada was idle

(Motorsport-Total.com) – “Of course we expected to do well in Canada,” says Carlos Sainz. At the Formula 1 race in Montreal, Ferrari went without points for the first time in the 2024 season. It should not happen again at Sainz’s home race in Barcelona.

Sainz believes Ferrari has drawn the necessary conclusions from the analysis to return to normal at the Spanish Grand Prix. He says: “Unfortunately we didn’t do everything right with the tires in Canada. It was probably a little thing in the system. So we had a bad weekend there.”

The bottom line is that there is no reason to panic. As he characterized the Canadian Grand Prix as a slip-up for Ferrari, Sainz said: “In a calendar with 24 races, there are always races where you drive at a very high level and others where it doesn’t work. But I think we learned from that.”

How realistic is a win for Sainz at home in Spain?

Because Sainz is dreaming of his first Formula 1 home win in front of his fans in Spain. He “couldn’t describe how important or special this win would be”, especially as his Ferrari exit was sealed at the end of the season and his future Formula 1 career unclear. Sainz is still out of the cockpit for 2024, although he has offers from several teams.

He wants to make the most of his opportunity with Ferrari. “And there’s always a chance,” Sainz insists. “But I want to wait until after practice on Friday to say how big this opportunity is.”

He now rates it as “very low” because he still knows how dominant Red Bull has been on similar race tracks so far. “But if you see a short field like the one-tenth or two poles in Imola, or like the McLarens in Miami, or dominating like Monaco…” And that’s just a few hours before practice starts. But Barcelona is just speculation.

For Sines, the pressure to win is an added strength

However, Sainz says the general excitement before his own race motivates him even more. He loves the pressure of driving in front of his own fans. “I think it puts me in a good mood when I see people cheering me on and giving me that positive energy. You smile more, laugh more and stay motivated.”

What do Ferrari updates bring in Spain?

Sainz expects a completely different benefit from the various new parts for the Ferrari SF-24, and at least “a small increase in downforce, which will help us be faster everywhere,” says the Ferrari driver.

However, in general, his team has remained true to the previous philosophy of only extensively modifying the race car. “But hopefully it will make a difference, especially considering how tight the field is now, and Mercedes seem to have entered the fray. And we’re within a tenth of McLaren and McLaren, and we’re at Red Bull every weekend. So every little bit helps.” Says Sains.

Signs: Red Bull is the favorite, but…

Because Red Bull in particular should continue to be considered favourites. “But I think McLaren will be very strong in the fast corners here. Now the team is not weak in the slow corners either.” At Mercedes, however, Sainz still wants to wait and see “what effect the update will have” and whether the Canadian form will become a trend.

“Of course, we’ll have to see if Ferrari can return to its Monaco form and, with a small upgrade, be good at high-speed laps and tire management.”

“That’s why I say the field is so compact and at the same time it’s a big question mark. Until the third free practice session it’s very difficult to decide who will be fastest. But it’s really exciting for everyone.” Sains says.

Either way: He expects an “exciting Q1 and Q2” in qualifying that is “similar to Canada.” The reason: “It’s getting tighter at this stage of the year. The top four or five teams are all within one or two tenths. So you can’t go wrong like we saw in Canada. It shows how tight it is. How important qualifying is.”