Despite Optimistic Ferrari Performance, Carlos Sainz Fears Max Verstappen’s Reign of Terror

The first two practice sessions of the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend have so far confirmed Red Bull’s greatest fear. Just as the team expected coming into this weekend, they have been on the back foot so far. The two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc registered the fastest two times in both practice sessions on Friday. On the other hand, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was as far back as eighth during the second practice session, and a whopping 0.732 seconds behind the time the Spaniard set in his Ferrari.

Even though Sainz was so much faster than Verstappen, the 29-year-old fears that the Dutchman will come back at them when it matters most. Verstappen and Red Bull also showcased their might at Monza two weeks ago despite not getting pole position.

A 10/10 performance today @redbullracing 🏆

To win 10 races in a row, and 15 consecutive races as a team, is unbelievable! 💪 I’m beyond proud to achieve this milestone together 👏

Today we will enjoy this moment and then we will keep pushing for more ☝

#ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/Cj8DPqmxzN

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) September 3, 2023

After qualifying second behind Sainz, Verstappen overtook the Ferrari driver and registered his record-breaking tenth consecutive victory. It is this reason, why Sainz believes that the 25-year-old and Red Bull are unlikely to have much trouble in dominating this weekend at Singapore despite their sluggish pace on Friday.

Carlos Sainz expects Max Verstappen to fight back

While speaking to F1 TV after two strong practice sessions, Carlos Sainz said (as quoted by racingnews365.nl), “You always have to come to Singapore with an open mind. We have seen in the past that performance on this track can vary a lot because it is such a specific track. So far, it seems that the track suits our needs well“.

While the Spaniard is confident of having a strong weekend himself, he does not see Red Bull having as many problems as Max Verstappen has anticipated after the first two qualifying sessions on Friday. Sainz believes that the Milton Keynes outfit undoubtedly continues to have the strongest car in terms of race pace and that they are more than capable of sorting their issues out before qualifying.

The 29-year-old expects the fight for pole to be tight between Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and even Aston Martin. Even though Sainz expects Red Bull to come back strongly during the qualifying session, Verstappen has his doubts for this weekend.

Max Verstappen believes his struggles have been worse than anticipated

Max Verstappen has been far from happy so far this weekend as he believes that Red Bull’s struggles have been far worse than anticipated. The Dutchman stated that he was struggling with the balance of the car throughout the two practice sessions, and that he still does not understand why they have been so poor.

When asked if he could still challenge for pole, the 25-year-old stated that he will try his best but that the gap to Ferrari is way too big. Verstappen believes that either Carlos Sainz or Charles Leclerc are favorites to clinch pole this weekend.