Carlos Sainz finished Sprint Qualifying for the United States Grand Prix in Austin in fifth place, but the Spanish Ferrari driver was not dissatisfied with his performance. Despite lacking speed compared to his direct rivals, Sainz is convinced that the team has brought out the full potential of the SF-24, especially on the medium tyres, and is confident about the race pace.
The best we could do with what we had
Sainz was quick to point out how the team got the best out of the car, especially in the opening stages of Sprint Qualifying in Austin: “I’m not disappointed. We did the best we could with our car,” he said. “The lap on the mediums was great, but on the softs we were missing that little bit extra to be really competitive. On a flying lap we’re always 1-2 tenths behind the best, and in the end that’s our value in qualifying.”
Ferrari showed good speed on the harder compounds over the weekend, confirming the progress made in recent races. But like teammate Leclerc, it was the soft tyre that caused some problems in the decisive phase of qualifying.
Confidence for the race pace
Despite the qualifying result not being what he had hoped for, Sainz says he is confident for the Sprint race and for Sunday's Grand Prix. “On race pace it's a different story, and I think we have the potential to do well.. The comeback will be possible if we manage to make the most of our tyres and manage the race well.” The Spanish rider is aware that the competition will be fierce, but he is determined to try to gain positions during the mini-race on Saturday and in the Grand Prix.
A weekend still to play for
With fifth place in qualifying, Sainz will start from the third row in the Sprint Race, but confidence for a good performance is still high. Free practice and the early stages of qualifying showed Ferrari’s potential on a demanding track like Austin, and Sainz knows the team still has room for improvement for the rest of the weekend.
Ferrari, despite not having the absolute best performance on a single lap, seems to be able to count on a good pace in the race, and Sainz hopes to be able to use this strength to bring home an important result in Texas.
