Sainz ‘feeling’ better with SF-23 but performance remains ‘limited’

Carlos Sainz says he feels better at the wheel of Ferrari’s 2023 car, especially on race day, but the Spaniard remains concerned by the SF-23’s “limited” performance level.

Ferrari has endured a dismal start to its campaign this season, with Sainz’s fourth-place finish in the opening round in Bahrain representing the team’s best result year-to-date.

A crucial lack of pace in race trim coupled with reliability issues have undermined the Scuderia’s results, leaving the Italian outfit well adrift from the dominant position it enjoyed twelve months ago following Charles Leclerc’s two wins in the first three races of 2022.

“In a way, I miss 2022 because at least we knew I had a car under my belt that was able to win races and pole positions,” Sainz said in Melbourne last weekend.

©Ferrari

While Ferrari did indeed have a winning car on its hands last season, Sainz was comprehensively outpaced by Leclerc in the early part of the season as he struggled to come to grips with the team’s machine.

“This year, the feeling of the car is a bit better – especially in the races,” he added.

“I’m not struggling with anything in particular on the driving side, it’s that I haven’t put together any good laps yet, any good qualifying laps. I haven’t done a good job in quali.

“The races, I’ve done pretty much what the car can do right now, which is not a lot.

“But yeah I’m just waiting to see if the upgrades improve the feeling, improve how we are able to race with the car because at the moment we are very limited.”

Read also: Leclerc admits 2023 his 'worst ever start of the season'

Sainz singled once again out the SF-23’s propensity to “eat” through its tyres as the car’s main weakness, but its one he hopes will be solved with the team’s upcoming upgrades.

“We cannot race people too much because the car is difficult in dirty air,” Sainz explained.

“We eat the tyres so it doesn’t allow you to push in the race to overtake people, and this means you’re a bit stuck in the race and cannot play around too much, we know exactly our weaknesses and hopefully this improves us and allows more flexibility.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.