Carlos Sainz of Ferrari expressed his disappointment with his seventh-place finish at the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, attributing it to the team’s lack of decisiveness in their tyre strategy. Starting on the Hard tyre, Sainz was able to gain an early position in the race. However, the newly surfaced track and high degradation prompted various strategies, with George Russell ultimately winning on a one-stop strategy. Sainz believes that Ferrari could have followed a similar plan. Despite feeling optimistic at the start of the race, Sainz regrets his decision to switch to the Medium tyre on Lap 21. Looking back, he acknowledges that neither a one-stop nor a two-stop strategy was executed optimally, leaving him feeling that the race held more potential.
Sainz asserts that he even believed a top three finish was attainable after completing 20 laps, but he eventually slipped back to seventh place behind Sergio Perez.
“I think, starting on the Hards, if anything we would’ve needed to commit to prolonging the stint by at least another 10 laps,” he said.
“And if we were on a two-stop strategy, maybe pitting five to six laps earlier to maximize our time on the Hard tire, which was performing exceptionally well today.”
Despite the missed opportunity, Sainz believes that the outcome may not have been significantly different even with a better strategy, acknowledging that Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren still have an edge in terms of race pace.
“At the same time, I believe our direct competitors today were faster, so I don’t think it would’ve made much of a difference,” he stated when asked if Ferrari had made progress this weekend.
“With our car, we started in first place and still finished fourth. With my car, I felt like we had a shot at a podium, but as soon as everyone switched to the Hards, you could see the pace they were setting.”
Both Sainz and teammate Charles Leclerc confirmed after the race that Ferrari has not resolved the bouncing issue that has plagued the SF-24 this season, particularly on faster tracks and high-speed corners.
With the Summer break now underway and Sainz’s future with the team secure, Ferrari will be aiming to make progress in the second half of the season.
Russell’s disqualification on Sunday following the race provides Ferrari with a crucial opportunity to contend for third place in the Constructors Championship, as they currently hold a 79-point advantage over Mercedes in fourth.
