F1 News: Carlos Sainz Frustrated by Ferrari's Struggles at Miami Grand Prix
Carolos Sainz had a solid weekend, qualifying P3 on the grid, but the Ferrari curse strikes again as they had a tough time competing with Aston Martin and Mercedes.
The 28-year-old Spanish driver had an impressive performance during the qualifiers and was considered a strong contender for a spot on the podium if he could outperform Fernando Alonso. Sainz started the race well, keeping Alonso within sight and even trying an undercut on him.
Although the undercut was technically successful, it backfired for Sainz when he received a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. This penalty didn't impact his final position, as he was passed by Alonso and George Russell, who both showed excellent pace on the hard compound tires.
Sainz ended up finishing the race in fifth place, with the hard compound proving to be Ferrari's Achilles heel. This led to more confusion for Sainz, as the performance of the SF-23 car drastically varied between the qualifying round and the actual race.
He described the situation as a "bit of a slap on the face," with Red Bull's dominance not helping matters. Sainz thought a podium finish and passing Alonso was possible due to a good stint with medium tires. However, the early pit stop and fast laps on the hard tires led to overheating and degradation.
Sainz explained that their car offers little flexibility in terms of strategy, making it difficult to adapt if they deviate from the ideal number of laps for the hard tires. Ferrari struggles with inconsistency and overheating, which they need to address.
Sainz lamented that while they compete for pole position on Saturdays, Sundays seem to bring a reality check during the race, with Red Bulls dominating, Aston Martins managing degradation better, and Mercedes closing the gap despite their qualifying disadvantage.