F1 News: Carlos Sainz Unsure Of Ferrari Pace In Japan - 'Qualifying Was Impossible'

Carlos Sainz opens up on Ferrari's difficulties in Japan.

Oct 22, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) of Team Spain is / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

In a challenging qualifying session in Japan, Carlos Sainz expresses doubts about Ferrari's performance, after he secured fourth on the grid. Despite his recent victory in Melbourne, Ferrari found qualifying at Suzuka particularly difficult.

Key Takeaways:

• Carlos Sainz, the recent Melbourne Grand Prix winner, faced limitations in Japan, securing only fourth position during qualifying.
• Sainz acknowledged a significant pace drop from practice sessions and highlighted the difficulty in closing the gap to third place.
• Sainz remains hopeful for a competitive race, anticipating a close battle for the podium.

May 6, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) of Spain waves to the / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

After a triumphant win in the Australian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz encountered a challenging qualifying session at Suzuka, Japan, that left him questioning Ferrari's pace and solidifying a fourth-place start on the grid. The Spaniard, who once again led Ferrari's charge, shared insights into the team's struggles and his outlook for the upcoming race. He explained, as quoted by Sky Sports F1:

"Especially after FP3 we saw we didn't have the pace as FP1 and we thought it was going to be a tougher weekend.

"We actually made a good step in quali, it's just Lando two tenths in front for P3 is too big for Suzuka, normally the gaps are very, very tight. Two tenths was too much,

"But I did some very good laps in this quali and I was happy with my performance. It's still a track where the Ferrari is not the fastest car around and we know why."

Sainz continued:

"We have been better on the race pace this weekend but I don't know if it will be good or bad. I hope we can fight them [McLaren] in the race because in quali it was impossible.

"In the race it would be nice to have a fight for the podium between Lando [Norris], me, Fernando [Alonso], Merc behind. It should be an interesting battle for the podium, I think the Red Bulls are unfortunately in a different league around here."

Heading into the Japanese Grand Prix, Sainz carries the momentum from his recent victory in Australia but faces the reality of Ferrari's current limitations at Suzuka.