Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz finished fifth in the recently concluded Azerbaijan GP while his teammate Charles Leclerc, managed to bounce back, earning his first podium finish of the season. Sainz admitted that he was not at the required level in this race and was mentally stressed throughout the race. The driver told the press after the race, “I was always very on the limit of crashing or feeling like I was losing the car.”
As soon as the race was over, his engineer Riccardo Adami consoled him by saying, “Good job for the fight,” but the driver was hard on himself as he replied on the team radio “Sorry for being so slow the whole weekend.” Although Sainz had a difficult race as he has assured the fans that he will bounce back in Miami.
The Spanish racer also took to Twitter to share his experience with the caption, “P5 brings home some points but I must put my hand up and admit I lacked confidence under braking and the pace wasn't there. I look forward to a reset, as Miami is just around the corner. I can’t wait to jump in the car again and keep pushing.”
However, Ferrari seemed satisfied with Sainz’s performance as he started at P4 and was under threat from Lewis Hamilton at the end of the race. However, the 28-year-old Spanish driver held on and gained 10 points for the team. After the race, Team Principal Fred Vasseur also admitted that he was satisfied with Sainz’s fifth-place finish.
Carlos Sainz is currently fifth in the Driver’s Standings with 34 points and Ferrari are fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with 62 points. Sainz will next take the track at the Miami Grand Prix from 5-7 May.