F1 News: Carlos Sainz Disappointed in Ferrari - 'Not Very Happy'

Carlos Sainz expressed significant dissatisfaction with the performance of his Ferrari during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Nov 17, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. of Spain (55) before / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Sainz expressed considerable discontent with his Ferrari's performance during the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. Despite the team's recent upgrades, Sainz struggled throughout the race, finishing in fifth position.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix witnessed a slower race, but for Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, the weekend was more about frustration. Under the cloudy skies of Imola, Sainz, who started in fourth place after benefiting from Oscar Piastri’s penalty ahead of him, crossed the finish line fifth, grappling with issues that marred his race from the outset.

"Today we were simply lacking quite a lot of pace. I'm not very happy because I'm pretty sure after qualifying yesterday, we saw something in the car that might have not been working as expected," Sainz revealed in the post-race interviews.

The Spanish driver detailed further complications related to his SF-24's power unit, notably in power deployment, which seemed to disadvantage him particularly in the race's first stint. "We also had some issues with the deployment. So today was a bit of damage limitation race for me after what we saw yesterday. All weekend, we've been lagging behind which is not ideal," he added.

The technical intricacies that F1 teams navigate at each Grand Prix are complex, and for Ferrari, the pressures are always heightened by the expectations surrounding the iconic marque. The insights shared by Sainz hinted at potential misfires in Ferrari's strategy:

"There's something on the idle side that we need to look into, as well as the deployment. There were some issues during the whole race that was holding me back, especially in the first stint, so something to look at. I think it's more a different thing [not upgrades]. But I cannot go into details," Sainz concluded.

While Sainz faced his challenges, the race itself was full of spirited drives. Max Verstappen secured another victory, demonstrating Red Bull's continued dominance in the season, while Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc filled the other podium spots in second and third respectively.

Ferrari's weekend at Imola, although overshadowed by Sainz’s issues, was not without its silver linings. The car showed sporadic bursts of speed, and teammate Charles Leclerc’s podium finish proves that the Scuderia boasts a strong baseline package.