F1 News: Carlos Sainz Lacks Confidence Ahead Of Monaco Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz and his Maranello team brace for a tough battle in Monaco.

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) talks to media in advance of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

As the Formula 1 circus heads to the glitzy and exacting streets of Monaco, Carlos Sainz has voiced significant concerns about the SF-24's competitiveness at one of the sport's most iconic venues. The Monaco Grand Prix, renowned for its unforgiving, narrow circuit that snakes through the city’s lavish streets, presents a unique challenge where the quality of a Saturday qualifying session can determine the entire race outcome.

Ferrari's introduction of key upgrades to their SF-24 model at Imola was intended to up their game, but outcomes fell short of expectations at Imola. Despite the upgrades, Sainz only managed a fifth-place finish, starkly underscored by his teammate Charles Leclerc's third-place podium—a clear signal that the potential of the SF-24 was yet to be fully harnessed. This scenario has cast dark clouds over Sainz’s optimism for the upcoming Monaco showdown, where track characteristics do not favor the new package.

Talking to the press over the Imola weekend, the Spaniard admitted:

"This package is not optimised for Monaco. "The package is more for medium, high-speed tracks, so I don't expect anything huge. It is all about qualifying, so we'll have a look at what we can do," he said, as quoted by GPBlog. His remarks underscore a significant hurdle; despite robust race pace, Ferrari's one-lap speed—which becomes crucial at Monaco due to limited overtaking—needs urgent improvement.

Sainz further expressed: "It's encouraging to see that our race pace is strong, but we need to improve the one-lap pace.

"I think some good pace [at Imola], and it meant that we were in the race. We seem like we can fight with these guys. It just seems like in quality they have a bit more than us, which is something that we need to look into and something that we need to keep improving, because there are going to be circuits where you cannot do anything with strategy or with overtaking."