F1 News: Carlos Sainz Explains Lack of Ferrari Pace

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari conveyed his astonishment over the team's unexpected drop in performance compared to their robust showing at the recent Monaco Grand Prix. Addressing the media, Sainz dissected the issues that led to Ferrari grappling with uncharacteristic challenges that included lack of grip and unfavorable vehicle dynamics, or 'ride.'

"I think right now, I can just tell you we are lacking grip and our ride doesn't look as good as it did in Monaco," Sainz stated, via ESPN, pointing out the stark difference in the car's responsiveness on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. He elaborated further: “For these two reasons, lack of grip, warm-up, ride, everything around Canada seems trickier than Monaco.”

Ferrari's dip in qualifying performance saw both Sainz and his teammate Charles Leclerc exit in Q2, far off the impressive victory in Monaco by the Monegasque, hinting at unpredictable dynamics. Addressing the challenge, Sainz acknowledged:

"We are a bit surprised, everyone knows, because since FP3 really we saw we were slow and this weekend was going to be a tough one."

Sainz also hinted at tactical shifts for the upcoming race, considering variable weather conditions and potential tire management issues that had already caused complications during earlier practice sessions.

“There are two or three factors that could spice the race up, which is the weather and the graining,” he remarked. “There was a lot of graining in FP2, and mixed weather coming [for the race], so these two things hopefully will make the race challenging and exciting."

In his reflection on competitors, particularly McLaren, his former team, Sainz expressed admiration for their consistent performance, surmising that McLaren could offer strategic insights.

“Everyone is a bit up and down so far this year, and maybe the most consistent team right now is McLaren, since Miami, at every race weekend... They're two-hundredths off, which is almost pole and apart from them, we need to understand if there is a problem with the tire, the car setup, or other operational misjudgments.”

Finally, Sainz underscored the importance of a thorough post-race analysis to pinpoint the exact causes of Ferrari's setbacks.

"I've seen worse things happen and we will go back and analyse why we're struggling around here," he concluded, optimistic yet cautious about addressing these unexpected complications.

As the team gears up for the ensuing race, strategists and engineers at Ferrari are no doubt already dissecting data, hopeful that perhaps a little racing luck regarding weather conditions could overturn their current fortunes. With the unpredictability that has marked this F1 season, the outcome remains as uncertain as the weather forecast, keeping teams and fans on the edge of their seats.