Carlos Sainz faced a challenging weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix , struggling with a car that he described as complicated.
After a disappointing qualifying session where he lagged nearly a second behind the pole position, Sainz expressed frustration with his Ferrari's performance.
"Yesterday we were quite slow, nearly a second off pole, and quite depressed but today the car felt a lot better," Sainz recounted after the Grand Prix, via Sky Sports F1 .
Despite starting further back in the grid, Sainz managed to secure a fifth-place finish, exceeding expectations and showcasing a strong recovery during the race.
He acknowledged that while the team is still working to understand the car's complexities, the race pace was better than anticipated.
"I moved forward more than I expected, we were quicker than I expected, which showed the strong race we had.
"Let's keep trying, keep pushing to understand this complicated car."
The race itself was dynamic, with Lando Norris starting from pole and quickly coming under pressure from Max Verstappen.
However, Norris regained the lead within the first 18 laps and maintained it through the closing stages, ultimately taking the win and the fastest lap. Verstappen and Charles Leclerc completed the podium.
Leclerc, Sainz's teammate, was pleased with his third-place finish, noting the team's improvement throughout a difficult weekend.
"Very surprised! I'm not very often happy with P3 but with today's race we can be extremely happy with the job we have done on a difficult weekend for the team.
"We have been struggling from Friday until the race. In the race we found some more pace, executed a perfect strategy. We undercut two of our competitors, then managed to keep them behind. A really strong race for the team.
"I never thought I would stand on the podium after such a difficult weekend for the team."
Ferrari's performance at Zandvoort has solidified their position in third place in the Constructors' Championship, trailing McLaren by 34 points.
The final standings for the Dutch Grand Prix were as follows:
1. Lando Norris - Fastest Lap
2. Max Verstappen
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Oscar Piastri
5. Carlos Sainz
6. Sergio Perez
7. George Russell
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Pierre Gasly
10. Fernando Alonso
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Daniel Ricciardo
13. Lance Stroll
14. Alex Albon
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Logan Sargeant
17. Yuki Tsunoda
18. Valtteri Bottas
19. Zhou Guanyu
20. Kevin Magnussen
Most Popular
Comments / 0