The Spaniard achieved a fantastic victory Pole on Saturday, transforming it into a podium - the first of the season in one of the most difficult races since he took on the role of the Red. The struggle with Charles in the end it didn't worry him, but it was one of many that Sainz had to face in the race. Before his teammate he was attacked by Verstappen and Perez. Red Bull had more despite struggling in the initial phase of the race. What bothered the Red team was the usual problem of degradation and a strategy that perhaps definitively took away any hope for a double podium.
At the end of the race Carlos Sainz was interviewed by Mara Sangiorgio, for Sky Sport F1. One of the main themes concerned that duel with Charles, a risky one considering that the team had a lot to lose in their home race.
Sainz: “The battle with Charles was tough but competitive”
For 15 laps, Sainz held the reins of the race. The SF-23 was really fast on the straight, enough to worry, so to speak, Max Verstappen. However, a mistake and a block exposed Max's side and he immediately took advantage of it to continue the solo sprint. Degradation did the rest and so Perez was also easy prey.“Today was very tough. – admits Sainz – It couldn't be more difficult than this. Throughout the race we have pushed hard to keep the Red Bulls behind. This caused me to wear out the rear tires a lot. I finally paid the price, but I tried to do everything I could to stick up for, against all the machines I could. In the end I brought the car to the finish line in third place. Duel with Leclerc? Tough, competitive battle. But it's always a pleasure to fight with Charles when there's a chance. He is a great driver, like Max and Checo. We had a lot of fun on the track today. I hope you had fun too. We need to continue working on pace and tire understanding. We lacked a bit of pace and had more degradation, it was evident, but we have made a big step forward compared to Zandvoort. This weekend we were better than the others, which is a good result for the team considering the circumstances."
Sainz: “I pushed until the end”
The goal of a double podium was perhaps unrealistic, also considering Sergio Perez's excellent form. But Sainz tried everything he could to defend himself, even taking more than one risk. “It was bad” said Max on a defense from the Spaniard at the first chicane. Finding a Sainz like this is an excellent sign for Ferrari. Sainz defined Monza as one of the best weekends of his career. How to deny it to him. Precisely this pushed him to give everything, even risking something with his teammate. “I did everything I could, in the first 15 laps I pushed even more than I should and ruined the tires. Today I had to try and not keep, I almost lose the podium but it was right to try to keep them behind. With Charles it was a fair but hard fight, we had a lot of fun. They were good battles for F1 too. I hope there will be no more weekends like Holland and more like Monza, but we will have to wait and see how the car reacts at these circuits. It was full, the podium was beautiful. It was the best weekend of my career being in Ferrari and winning the podium in Monza."
Source statements: sky sports f1
