Why Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz wants “very different characteristics” from his race car for the 2024 Formula One season despite his Singapore victory
Only Max Verstappen in the Red Bull RB19 has scored more points in the past three Formula One races than Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari SF-23. Nevertheless, Sainz believes that many things need to be different at Ferrari in the 2024 Formula One season, especially on the technical side.
Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, Sainz said: “Of course there are some things [and] some set-ups that we could adopt for next year’s car. But I hope that next year’s car will have very different characteristics to the current one.”
Ferrari needs “a kind of reboot” on its race car, he said. Reason: “The SF-23 has given us headaches in some places this year. “
Ferrari needs a “wider operational window “
For Ferrari, the 2023 season was like a rollercoaster ride: at times Sainz and Charles Leclerc were candidates for the podium with the SF-23, at other times Ferrari was mercilessly trailing behind.
Or as Sainz sums it up: “Over one lap and with C5 tyres, the car can be very fast [in qualifying] on some tracks. But the truth is that even in the Singapore race we didn’t do very well. Tyre wear is still one of the weaknesses we need to address.”
The 2024 Ferrari must therefore first and foremost have a “wider operational window”, says Sainz. He demands a technical basis from Ferrari that offers “better possibilities overall, that we can be fast not only in certain conditions, but generally over the race distance”.
The most recent three Grands Prix exemplify Ferrari’s problems for the 2023 season, Sainz continues: “It was all about defending and looking in the rear-view mirrors. Because we always qualify a little better than our pace in the race. Zandvoort is a good example, but Monza and Singapore were also like that. “
