Carlos Sainz admitted it was “impossible to think about the win” during the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, although he was pleased with another podium finish in Suzuka.
Sainz capitalised on Max Verstappen’s retirement in Australia to lead a Ferrari 1-2, but normal service resumed in Japan with Red Bull collecting a maximum points haul.
Sainz finished 20.866-seconds back from Verstappen and over eight seconds behind Sergio Perez, demonstrating the deficit that Ferrari retains to the reigning champions.
The Spaniard knew his race pace would be stronger than the one-lap performance that granted him fourth on the grid, but the target was a podium rather than the win.
“We kind of knew our race pace was better than our qualifying pace,” Sainz said. “It’s still probably not enough to go for a win.
“Given how good the race pace of the Red Bull is, it’s almost impossible to think about a win.
“But I was hopeful of achieving a podium that in the end we managed to achieve, even if it was a very tough race, very strategic.”
Sainz had entered the final stint pitting from the lead to emerge in seventh, but with an offset in rubber, he was able to close on the cars ahead at a rapid rate.
That pace, coupled with offset pit strategies for competitors ahead, enabled Sainz to slice through to cross the finish line in third, marking his third podium in 2024.
“The track condition changed a lot through the race,” Sainz explained. “We went from a very sunny track that we hadn’t had all weekend to a very cloudy track.
“The degradation went down a lot and you could push a lot more on the tyres halfway through the race. And yet this changed the whole situation quite a lot.
“At one point I thought the podium wasn’t possible, but then with a new hard, the pace was mega and I could get back onto the podium.”
Sainz is convinced that Ferrari’s third and fourth-place finishes in Japan showcase the progress it has made when it comes to race pace compared to last season.
The race at Suzuka last September saw Sainz languish 50s behind Verstappen, with the reduced margin leaving Sainz to praise the Maranello-based squad’s gains.
“We exactly improved the car in the places that we wanted to improve it and Suzuka proves it,” Sainz assessed.
“Still, places like Suzuka, we are not as strong as the Red Bull, which is the target, but as soon as we bring a good upgrade to the car that goes in the right direction, hopefully it can get us closer.
“We’ve improved everywhere and especially in the race pace. It also allows us to have more strategic flexibility that last year we didn’t have.
“It allows me to go forward in the races and instead of looking in my mirrors all the time to offset myself with strategy and then overtake people, which is something that last year wasn’t in the cards at any point.
“So [I’m] happy and [it] makes me enjoy more racing.”
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