MADRID, 9 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish driver Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) assured after being third in the sprint race of the Austrian Grand Prix, and achieving third place on the grid for the usual race this Sunday, that they will have to try to do “something different” ahead of the Sunday to push sprint winner Max Verstappen out of his comfort zone.
“The three of us are very similar, at the moment Max has the position of going first and the advantage of clean air. We have to get him out of that comfort zone in which he is and between the two of us try to do different things,” he said at a press conference post sprint.
Sainz thinks it was a “fun” first race. “A pity I couldn’t catch (Leclerc) at the end. I lost some grip, had to cool tires and find my rhythm again, but it was fun,” he said.
The Spaniard, winner at Silverstone, will try to add his second victory in F1 in Austria starting, precisely, third -the sprint marks the grid on Sunday-. And he goes into the race with the lesson learned that he shouldn’t try to pass Verstappen on the outside.
“We started well, then I was able to attack Max but there was little grip (on the outside) and it made me lose position with Charles. At first it seemed that I had more pace than Charles, I could pass but then the tire got hot “, He commented on his attempt to overtake the Dutchman.
As for the internal struggle between the two Ferraris for second place, he acknowledged that there was “little to win or lose” in that battle. “We talked about a point or so, and Max seemed to be in control in the lead and we haven’t lost much,” he reiterated.
“Fight? Mattia and the team will decide, it’s not like we lost much. And Max didn’t panic with our pace. We’ll try to be closer at the start and finish tomorrow,” said the Spaniard.