The dependability of Ferrari’s 2023 Formula 1 engine, according to Carlos Sainz, is in a “poor state,” although the team is making adjustments in response to Charles Leclerc’s retirement in Bahrain.
Leclerc, who started third behind the powerful Red Bull cars in the season opener after bringing in new engine parts and control electronics before the Bahrain Grand Prix, didped out of the race.
Ferrari decided to install a third control electronics component for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian race, and Leclerc will be docked 10 grid positions in Jeddah for exceeding the season’s allotment of two such components.
Sainz is now Ferrari’s greatest chance to compete against Red Bull at the fast track that should, in theory, work with the SF-23’s revised aerodynamic idea intended to increase straight line efficiency.
Sainz stated during the pre-event news conference in Jeddah that Ferrari is “quite anxious” about whether his engine will withstand the entire race, even if he is able to stay up with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez on Sunday.
After a penalty in race two, Sainz said, “It’s not the way you want to start a season. “Clearly, we are not pleased with breaking the battery and the ECU in the first weekend, and we highlighted it as a vulnerability.
Yet this failure is the first we’ve seen in a very, very long time. That therefore took us off guard.
“We’re putting measures in place to correct it, and I have a good feeling that we can do it quickly.
The situation is horrible, but we can only go ahead from here to make it better and ensure that we are also more competitive this weekend.
Sainz responded, “I like to think so, absolutely,” when asked whether Ferrari was anticipating competing for the podium this weekend.
“The track in Bahrain is very different. Everything is a little bit different from Bahrain, including the [asphalt], the high-speed nature, and the wing level that we will run. We’re going to be a little bit more competitive, in my opinion.
“Is that enough to defeat the Red Bulls? That will be quite challenging given how fiercely competitive and powerful they were in Bahrain.
“But, following Bahrain, I want to be more upbeat and believe that this weekend we have a strong chance to go back on the podium.”
Sainz suggested that Red Bull’s 2022 turnaround from a double DNF in the season opener before going on to win both titles provided inspiration in light of Ferrari’s disappointing Bahrain performance, where it could not keep pace with Red Bull due to poor tyre wear levels even before Leclerc dropped off the podium.
The team’s first weekend was challenging, but overall, in my opinion, we performed as well as we possibly could have, said Sainz, who was having vocal problems since he had a cold the previous weekend.
It’s the first race, so obviously Charles’s penalty coming in is not ideal, he said. If 2022 taught us anything, it’s that finishing strong is more important than starting strong.
“In order to enhance the car as much as possible, we’re going to attempt to build up from there and especially now kick the developments in.
Attempt to get better than where we are now.
Information taken from the website – https://www.motorsport.com/
