Carlos Sainz has admitted that Ferrari’s fluctuating form throughout the 2023 Formula 1 season proved “mentally challenging” to adapt to.
After returning to race-winning ways upon F1’s switch to ground effect regulations last year, Ferrari’s bid to mount a title challenge in 2023 was thwarted by a capricious SF-23 car.
Having endured a challenging start to the season that saw it drop to fourth place, the Italian marque responded strongly to claim the only non-Red Bull victory of the season.
Sainz, who secured that win in Singapore, believes tempering expectations was vital to Ferrari ensuring it maximised its package each weekend beyond the summer break.
“I think the first part of the year was difficult, because we all expected more,” Sainz said. “Me included, I was a bit disappointed and surprised with the gap to Red Bull in some circuits and the way we could not really fight for the targets that we had set.
“Then for the second half, it was clear for me and the team that it was a matter of maximising what we have. Acknowledging the fact that there were going to be races where we’re going to be fighting for poles and maybe for a win.
“But there were other tracks where we would have to settle for P5, P6, P7s, because we were nearly a second off the pace in race pace.
“Kind of acknowledging that and adapting to that is what changed my mindset and realise that every weekend was going to be a bit different. It was just a matter of trying to be consistent, trying to bring points for the team and maximise what we have.
“And there’s been very little or few mistakes in this second half maximising what was up for grabs with the car we have.”
Despite ending the season three points shy of beating Mercedes to second in the Constructors’ standings, Ferrari managed to record three poles in the last five rounds.
However, the Maranello-based squad was still blighted by inconsistency in race trim at various rounds, which Sainz concedes provided trouble to come to terms with.
Asked whether the view to extracting the maximum represented a change in Ferrari’s approach compared to previous years, Sainz said: “It feels exactly that way on the inside.
“We acknowledge the package we have, we understood it and now we just put it on track and try to maximise it each weekend and I think we are doing a much better job of that.
“It’s not easy because it’s mentally challenging to understand how in Vegas you can outqualify the Red Bull by three-tenths and fight for the win and then go to Brazil and then be a second off the pace in race pace.
“It’s almost unbelievable that these swings in performance can happen, but it’s the Formula 1 of nowadays.
“We need to make sure we have more Vegas’ and Singapore’s next year and we understand why the car there is strong and why it’s so weak in other types of circuits and corners.”
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