Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have been nowhere near the front of the grid this season, with the former in particular, struggling. Ferrari has fallen from grace once again after a promising start to the previous campaign. Now Sainz, who is linked to a move away from Ferrari, urges the fans to stop dreaming of a Ferrari victory, as per Motorsport Total.
Ferrari showed glimpses of returning to championship-winning ways in the early days of the 2022 season. However, as the season progressed, their challenge faltered. Strategy errors and reliability issues plagued any chances they had of competing against Max Verstappen and Co. In the end, the Red Bull driver ended up dominating the campaign, and this has transpired into the 2023 season too.
Unlike last year, Ferrari isn’t even competing from P2 anymore. They have fallen further behind, with the likes of Mercedes and Aston Martin outperforming them in the first half of this season. A lot of Ferrari fans haven’t really given up on the team. However, Sainz, who has been linked with a move away, urges them to stop dreaming.
Fans must accept Ferrari’s condition, insists Carlos Sainz
Currently, Ferrari is P4 in the constructors championship standings, behind Red Bull, Mercedes, and Aston Martin. In the last few races leading up to the summer break, even McLaren has shown better pace than the cars of the Maranello-based team. For Carlos Sainz, this is a clear indication that the Tifosi should wave the white flag.
In his interview, he said, “If fifth place is the maximum for us in a weekend, we have to celebrate reaching the maximum with the material we have this year. We need to score maximum points for the constructors’ championship. And stop waiting for a win or a podium finish.”
Sainz remains committed to Ferrari for the time being. However, his future with the team is being questioned heavily. This comes especially after he accused the team of favoring his teammate Charles Leclerc in races recently.
Is Sainz looking to jump sinking ship?
Earlier this month, rumors of Sainz leaving Ferrari took over the internet. Reports of him signing a pre-contract with Audi began surfacing. But sources close to the Madrid-born driver insist that he is planning to stay. However, things look shaky for the former McLaren driver in Ferrari, for sure.
Sainz accused the team of favoring Leclerc at the Hungarian GP last month, to compensate for the latter’s botched pit-stop. In addition to that, he has been frustrated with the team’s car. Plus, their strategy on umpteenth number of occasions, both this year, and in 2022.
Ready for the last push before the summer break, let’s give it all @ScuderiaFerrari 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/U82hKCldm3
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) July 27, 2023
Whether Sainz chooses to stay behind in Maranello and keep fighting, is yet to be seen. For now, however, the Spaniard is adamant that he will give his best to ensure that Ferrari have as good an ending to the 2023 season as possible.
