Sainz 'surprise' as Ferrari send Tifosi hopes soaring
Sainz 'surprise' as Ferrari send Tifosi hopes soaring
Carlos Sainz has proclaimed his surprise at Ferrari's pace around Monza after leading the way in Friday practice ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.
The Spaniard's lap of one minute 21.664secs, to finish 0.143secs ahead of Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen, delighted the Tifosi.
Although Sainz will take a back-of-the-grid penalty for fitting a number of fresh power unit components, team-mate Charles Leclerc is poised to start from pole position as Verstappen drops five places for taking a new engine.
Ferrari had approached Monza with an element of trepidation given its struggles with a low downforce set-up at Spa Francorchamps two weeks ago for the Belgian Grand Prix.
But Sainz assessed: "It has been a positive day.
"Coming from Spa, the last downforce track where we struggled a lot, we expected not to be very competitive here but I must say that since FP1, the car has felt in a much better window, a much better position than it was at Spa.
"That doesn't mean we are the fastest. I don't think we are the fastest out there by any means, especially in the long runs, but at least we are closer than we thought."
He added: "It is actually better than expected. At Spa, we did a session with a lower rear wing and it didn't feel great.
"Here, coming down on the wing, we have been trimming downforce all day and it just kept feeling better and better.
"It's very difficult to understand this sport and sometimes it brings you some bad surprises and some good ones."
Sainz cautious of Verstappen recovery
Despite Verstappen's penalty, he is still due to start relatively close to the front, and he has already won from 10th and 14th on the grid this year in Hungary and Belgium respectively.
Lowering expectations, Sainz remarked: "Over one lap I think we will contend - we might contend
"But on the long run, they [Red Bull] look strong as always. Especially Max on the medium looked particularly quick.
"For me, the medium felt a bit more of a struggle but if we do the right steps going into tomorrow, maybe we can close the gap."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Newey Red Bull EXIT date revealed as F1 star confirmed at new team - GPFans F1 Recap
- 2 hours ago
Verstappen takes F1 swipe at Hamilton and rivals with ruthless remark
- 3 hours ago
Marko defends Ricciardo in 'unbelievable' idiot claim
- Yesterday 21:57
Hamilton hints at sensational Newey arrival at Ferrari
- Yesterday 20:57
Suspended Red Bull employee 'grilled' as Horner saga given potential END DATE
- Yesterday 19:57
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
- Yesterday 18:58
Related news
F1 boss confirms HISTORIC race in danger
Italian Grand Prix saw huge amount of F1 fans MISS key moments
Brundle admits Russell podium at Monza would have led to 'CHAOS'
Brundle claims under pressure F1 star 'back in control'
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860