For Carlos Sainz, the weekend on the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit was not unforgettable. The Spanish driver certified eighth and completed seventh within the race behind his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc, who began from pole place and completed fourth on observe, preserving behind the now not dominant Max Verstappen. George Russell initially crossed the end line first after a one-stop technique, however his automobile was disqualified post-race for being below the burden restrict. Consequently, his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton claims victory, with Oscar Piastri shifting as much as P2 and Charles Leclerc securing P3. Because of this Carlos Sainz additionally gained a place, however it nonetheless remained a upset Sunday afternoon for the Spaniard.
Though the SF-24 wasn’t thought-about among the many favorites within the Ardennes race, the Maranello automobile managed to indicate aggressive moments, an indication of enchancment in comparison with Ferrari in current weeks. Nevertheless, not like his Monegasque teammate, the staff opted for a special technique with Carlos Sainz.
“We took some dangers beginning with the exhausting tire,” feedback the Spaniard. “We additionally gained a place, so I used to be very optimistic and constructive about this technique. We managed to stretch it to the twentieth lap. In hindsight, not sufficient, as a result of in all probability doing only one cease appeared potential right now. And sure, in all probability an important factor is that we didn’t do both a one-stop or an optimum two-stop technique. It’s simple to say now, in hindsight, however it appeared to me that the race promised way more.” – he identified on the finish of the Belgian Grand Prix.
After the primary twenty laps of the 44 scheduled, the Spaniard thought he had an opportunity to struggle for the rostrum. Phantasm shattered. Why? “I believed we might have a shot on the podium after which abruptly I ended up in seventh place, 9 seconds behind the sixth,” he continues. “So, it’s clear that there’s one thing we have to study. On the identical time, I imagine our direct opponents had been sooner right now, and I don’t suppose it could have modified a lot.”
On the Belgian Sunday, the place the race was gained by a driver who led for 34 laps on the identical tire, Carlos Sainz believes his stint was too brief: “We should always have tried to increase it by at the least 10 laps. Or, if we had performed two stops, possibly we must always have stopped 5 or 6 laps earlier to spend as a lot time as potential on the exhausting tire, which was our purpose right now.”
Regardless of the development proven by the SF-24 within the final two races, Carlos Sainz thinks there’s nonetheless a lot work to be performed to shut the hole with others: “In comparison with Mercedes, Purple Bull, and McLaren, we’re nonetheless two or three tenths behind within the race. With my automobile, it appeared like we had been within the struggle for the rostrum after which, as quickly as everybody placed on the exhausting tires, we noticed their tempo. I felt aggressive and quick, then after I heard the others’ instances, I believed: ‘No, I’m not as quick as I might have appreciated,’” he concluded following the race on the 7.004-kilometre Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.
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