Carlos Sainz had a strong start to the 2024 season by finishing third in Bahrain this past weekend. The Spanish driver beat both George Russell and Charles Leclerc to secure the podium finish. Sainz was able to register the podium only because Ferrari suffered much less tire wear as compared to previously. However, despite witnessing an improvement in this area, the 29-year-old thinks that it won’t be enough to defeat the formidable Red Bull this season.
Speaking with Formula1.nl, Sainz stated, “I have the feeling that I can do this (attacking and overtaking) more often. The tire wear is much less and I no longer have to defend alone.”
Sainz went on to say that while the SF 24 is a good step forward, it is still challenging to keep up with Red Bull. He said, “ They are ahead, we cannot challenge Red Bull yet. Now, it is important that we also keep up with them in the race.”
During his conversation, Sainz also touched upon the moment when it seemed that he would collide with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. According to Sainz, it all seemed more exciting on TV than it actually was. In the end, he clarified that he was in ‘complete control‘ and had built up a healthy margin while competing with Leclerc.
How did Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc’s race progress?
While Carlos Sainz started his race from P4, Charles Leclerc began his race from second. Since both Ferrari drivers suffered from brake vibrations at the start of the race, Sainz believe that it ‘limited‘ their progress.
However, as the race progressed, Sainz didn’t witness any significant issues with the brake, while Leclerc continued to struggle and was eventually also overtaken by his teammate. Sainz described his overtake over the Monegasque as a ‘good sign‘ for himself.
While Sainz has so far had an impressive start to his final season with Ferrari, Charles Leclerc had a disappointing outing in Bahrain. After starting the race alongside Max Verstappen, Leclerc considered pulling off a move into the first turn of the opening lap.
However, his attempt failed, and after that, the Monegasque slipped backward. Moreover, his SF-24 also began to experience issues with its front brakes, but despite that, the 26-year-old managed to finish P4.
Speaking about it during his post-race interview, Leclerc said, “It was impossible to drive properly. We had big problems with the brakes, which we will investigate what happened in order for it to not happen again.”
