Carlos Sainz has called on Ferrari to address its ongoing tyre management issues after a difficult weekend at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. The Spanish driver admitted that the team has a lot of “homework” to do to get on top of the tyre problems that have been plaguing its performance this season.
A Challenging Weekend for Sainz and Ferrari
Sainz’s Singapore GP was compromised from the start after a crash in Q3 forced him to start 10th on the grid. His race prospects were further hindered when he had to avoid contact on the first lap, making overtaking difficult on the tight street circuit. In response, Ferrari opted for an aggressive undercut strategy to gain track position, allowing Sainz to leapfrog slower cars, including teammate Charles Leclerc.
However, with Leclerc on fresher tyres and displaying better pace, Sainz allowed him to pass in the closing stages, ultimately finishing seventh. Sainz has pinpointed the narrow operating window of the current Pirelli tyres as a significant challenge that Ferrari needs to address to avoid similar setbacks in the future.
“I think what keeps being a bit of a trend this year is that we have a very narrow window for the tyres to perform in our car this year,” Sainz explained. “I think last year our car switched on the tyres whenever we wanted. This year seems to be a very fine line between getting them in the right window or not.”
Tyre Management Woes Continue to Hamper Ferrari
Sainz noted that Ferrari’s struggles with tyre temperatures have been a recurring issue, with the team struggling to maintain the correct tyre operating window. The problems are exacerbated by external factors such as traffic, pit lane queues, and variations in out-lap performance, making tyre management a critical area for improvement.
“We have theories right now, but I think unless you do the ideal perfect out-lap, the chance of not having the tyres in the right window is extremely tough for us,” Sainz said. “As soon as something happens out of our control, like having to let through traffic or go slow in sector two, you’re a few degrees out of the operating window, and there’s zero grip.”
Sainz highlighted that these tyre inconsistencies were a factor in his qualifying crash and have impacted race performances, urging Ferrari to give “special attention” to resolving the issue.
Sainz’s Plan for the Remaining Races
With six races left in the season, Sainz is determined to work closely with the team to better understand and mitigate the tyre problems. He plans to focus on improving tyre management strategies during the upcoming weeks to ensure Ferrari can optimize its race pace.
“I’m gonna focus during these next few weeks to see what I can do for the last six races to make that less of a limitation or less of a weakness,” Sainz said. “Hopefully with that, once we put special attention into it, we can qualify a bit further up, and with our race pace, we can fight.”
Ferrari’s struggles with tyre temperatures and grip issues highlight a broader challenge that has hindered the team’s performance this season. Sainz’s call for improvement is crucial if Ferrari is to compete more effectively in the remaining races, and both drivers and engineers will need to work together to find solutions that allow the team to maximize its potential on track.
