Despite Knowing Ferrari’s Disadvantages, Carlos Sainz Is Hopeful of Beating the Rivals to Victory

Ferrari has struggled with its race pace throughout the season, often losing positions and points due to poor strategy and tire management. However, with Red Bull dropping out of the top 10 at the Singapore Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz Jr. is hoping to win at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. He spoke about the same in his interview with Sky Sports after getting the pole position.

The Spaniard explained that Ferrari has been working hard to understand and improve its package and car and that it has made some progress in recent races. Arguably, this could be their best chance of winning a race this season. However, Sainz is a bit wary of where they struggle and anticipates a difficult battle with Mercedes.

Despite ruling out Mercedes’ faster pace, Sainz remains optimistic about Ferrari’s chances to win the 2023 Singapore GP.

Carlos Sainz talks about Singapore GP chances after finishing in pole

Ferrari clinched pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz finishing just a few hundredths of a second ahead of Mercedes’s George Russell. Sainz explained that the team’s action plan is to try to build the gap on the soft tires in the first stint, and then take care of the hard tires in the second stint.

“We know our weakness is always the race pace and where we pay the price. “But I think our team has been doing a great job over the last couple of weekends to understand the package and car. “We have definitely made a bit of progress, keeping in mind this circuit always suits Ferrari well. “But if I focus on my own race and put together a good first stint and stint on hards, we can target the win.”

The Ferrari driver said he expects that Mercedes will be quick in the mediums, but hopes that he has enough to defend its position. The 29-year-old added that he was confident in his driving skills and ability to handle the pressure of leading the race.

The Spaniard added that Ferrari needs to be consistent and flawless to win, as any mistake could cost them dearly.

Red Bull out of picture at the Marina Bay Circuit

This weekend also presents a rare opportunity for Ferrari to win, as their main rivals Red Bull had a disastrous qualifying session. Verstappen, who has won the last 10 races in a row, finished 11th fastest in Q2 and was eliminated along with Perez, who was 13th.

This means that Red Bull will have to fight through the middle, while Ferrari can focus on combating Mercedes. However, Mercedes might also have an advantage in this race, as their reserve driver George Russell explained in the post-qualifying briefing.

Russell said that Mercedes has more flexibility in its strategy, as it can choose when to pit and switch to the soft tyres. He also said that Mercedes has more pace in hand, as Hamilton did not have a perfect lap in qualifying.