F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Sainz: Ferrari car still too dependent on 'wind and track conditions'

Carlos Sainz says Ferrari's performance is still too dependent on the wind and track conditions, a well-known weakness that the team needs to iron out as it is leaving the Scuderia "exposed" at certain venues.

Sainz and teammate Charles Leclerc were running among the top six in the first part of the British Grand Prix. But hampered by their car's lack of pace the pair eventually regressed to finish respectively P9 and P8.

Sainz said his struggles were rooted mainly in the SF-23's lack of traction, which the hard tyre used in his second stint only made worse.

"Very windy, very tricky car to drive again, very difficult to be consistent in these conditions… We were certainly struggling a lot on traction in all the tailwind," the Spaniard explained.

"We couldn't get on the power and also a harder tyre made the fighting and everything very tricky.

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"We know it's our weakness, we know where it is. We see it in the wind tunnel, we see it in our car, we see it on the driving, on the feeling. So, it's just a matter of developing.

"At least we've done some progress still. But again, Silverstone has put us back in a position where we know we need to improve the car."

Sainz fears that Ferrari's main weakness will continue to leave the Italian outfit "exposed" on certain tracks, even despite the team's recent upgrades which aimed to reduce the SF-23's lack of consistency.

"It's not a great thing for us because we are very dependent on the wind and the track conditions and on the track temperature for our own performance, which will leave us a bit exposed to some weekends," he said.

"Clearly the tyre [degradation], the tyre energies, the wind sensitivities, the unpredictability of the car, one lap I was 0.3s or 0.4s quicker than others just because of a gust of wind, so we still need to focus on that."

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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.

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