Ferrari, Carlos Sainz no pun intended: “We are behind”

Comes the admission that it lags behind the competition.

Carlos Sainz finished sixth in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc but behind the Red Bulls, Mercedes and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. And at the end of the race, the Spaniard acknowledged Ferrari’s difficulties at this stage of the Formula 1 season.

“Honestly, in the second stint of the race with the hard tire I did everything that could be done,” Sainz told ‘Sky Sport.’ “Even at the physical level I was not 100 percent, but from that stint you can see perfectly that we are a step behind. And we have to improve. It’s already two tracks, moreover with very different asphalt and track, that in the race we struggle to keep up with Red Bull and Aston Martin.”

“This Sunday confirms that we need work and new developments to the car. They will come, I am convinced they will come,” Sainz added. But we need some time, for the moment that is what is there.

“A little bit it’s a surprise to be so far behind. Also because after Friday we were looking at the race pace and we felt second strength. Today, however, the Aston Martins were superior to us and we have to understand why. This is not where we want to be, and we need to improve,” Sainz concluded.