Carlos Sainz, a strong exemplary of the Villa y Corte, a neighbor of La Finca de Pozuelo de Alarcón, likes the Mediterranean air of Barcelona. It was at the Circuit de Montmeló, 18 years ago, when he fell in love with Formula 1. "Barcelona brings back very good memories, I saw the 2005 race live, with my father by the hand, and when I returned home I told him that he wanted to be an F-1 pilot like Fernando Alonso; I was ten years old ”... the man from Madrid rescued his memories. He fulfilled his dream, and since he competed in F-1 (2015), the Circuit appears on the calendar as one of the springboard events to boost himself to the World Cup. A platform effect that is needed once again.
After six races, the start of Sainz and Ferrari could not have been more sad in 2023, in which those from Maranello hoped to close the gap with Red Bull and be able to fight for the drivers' and constructors' titles. But the red bulls are not only still far away, but they have slipped the green surprise of Aston Martin with Alonso.
“It has not been the start that we at Ferrari expected, it has been harder than we would have liked. We know that our weak point is the race pace; We're not bad after just one lap, but when the tires wear out, we suffer in race pace; We are trying to correct it and take a step forward this weekend”, admitted Sainz, sincere.
The outlook does not invite optimism in the Italian team: Sainz is 6th overall, with modest results (a better 4th place in Bahrain), and Leclerc is 7th (with a podium in Baku). Between the two they add fewer points (90) than Alonso (93).
“But we didn't give up, and we are trying to change the car. I'm sure the results will start coming out soon. The novelties that we bring in Barcelona is a first step, they are aimed at improving the pace of the race and making the car less unpredictable, because it is very changeable from one race to another. We will try to get closer to Red Bull race by race”, said Sainz, who was 9th in the morning test (1.1s behind Verstappen) and 7th in the afternoon only three tenths behind the Dutchman.
For Sainz, this one in Barcelona “is the ideal grand prix to improve and position ourselves. In Maranello they have juggled a gigantic effort to bring some improvements”. In addition, he has the talismanic effect of the Catalan track: in his eight years in F-1, it is the second track where he has obtained the most points, 52 in his eight participations; he is only surpassed by Monaco, with 62 in eight (thanks to two second places).
“This is my ninth Spanish GP, it seems like yesterday when I was with Toro Rosso in 2015, I qualified fifth…”, and finished 9th, the third time he had scored points. Since then, he has not stopped adding any years in Montmeló. "It is difficult to explain. Barcelona, together with Monaco, is one of the circuits where I score the most every year, it is where I have the best record, and I am sure that the fans have something to do with it, I always feel very supported, with good feelings. The fans transmit good vibes to me and I am sure that they help me and make me give a little more”, explains Sainz, who has a cheering crowd in Grandstand B with 3,300 loyal fans.
“A good result at home beats any bad result, it would be a unique sensation that would give me extra motivation for the World Cup”, Carlos cheers up thinking about the Barcelona effect.
"We are going to try to get on the podium, and if we can, win," the man from Madrid launches his desire.
