MADRID, 4 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) announced this Thursday that “it is time to accelerate” and “solve as soon as possible” his future, since he “still” does not have a job “for next year”, at the same time who claimed to be “100%” physically after his appendicitis operation and hoped to enjoy “more than last year” in Suzuka, one of his favorite circuits.
“We’re talking to a few, because that’s what my management team and I should be doing when I still don’t have a job for next year. We’re talking to almost everyone. It’s just a matter of going into more detail and looking at the most realistic options.” and what are the best options for me and for my future. It is time to accelerate everything a little and I hope we can solve it as soon as possible,” said the Madrid native at the press conference prior to the start of the GP.
Sainz is one of the protagonists of the ‘silly season’, since he will not continue at Ferrari, the team that chose Lewis Hamilton, now at Mercedes, as Charles Leclerc’s next teammate. Thus, many options open up for the Madrid native, on a grid with up to 11 drivers whose contract ends in 2024.
Although the Spaniard, winner of the last GP in Australia, is focused on continuing to perform at the highest level, after that appendicitis operation that prevented him from racing in Jeddah. “I’ve been cycling this week. I’ve been in Australia for a week and I’m back in the gym. I still don’t lift huge amounts of weight like I used to in the past, but at least I can train and I feel 100%,” he celebrated.
“It is important to turn the page quickly, in the good and the bad. Obviously, coming from a good race it is more difficult to turn the page, because you want to continue enjoying the moment, but I passed it on Monday, I started to focus on my training and return as fit as possible for Japan. Also because it is going to be a difficult circuit for us,” Sainz predicted.
The Madrid native recalled that last year was one of his “biggest challenges”, “seven or eight tenths” behind Red Bull. “It’s time to see where we are this year and see if we can be at least closer and enjoy this incredible track a little more than we enjoyed it last year, because for me, it is one of my favorites, if not my favorite “he confessed.
“The narrowness makes it a challenge. The fact that if you put a wheel outside the track, it’s grass or gravel and it penalizes the driver. And then the feeling of speed we have here is similar to that of a track like Imola, for example, that the sensation of speed is crazy, and that is what gives excitement to the driver,” he added about Suzuka.
Sainz tried to somewhat reduce the euphoria that the victory in Australia could have caused, where they looked “very strong.” “We are still a couple of tenths behind the Red Bulls and we probably need an improvement, especially at circuits like Suzuka, to fight against them. The work the team has done is extremely good, because the car is a very good step forward.” , he highlighted.
“But we need more of the same if we want to win at circuits like Japan. There are no big improvements here. We have, I think, a very small thing in the car, at the rear. But it will come later in the season. And I hope it will be another good step in the same direction,” he said about the improvements to his car.
Finally, Sainz defended that “it is unfair to criticize or support the change in regulations” for 2026 without having tested the new cars, although he did request certain changes. “These cars are too big and heavy. If I had to change something for tomorrow, it would be that. And the suspensions are becoming a big topic of conversation at many of the circuits and how exhausting it can be for the driver,” he criticized. .
“Right now we are asking too many things from the circuits, from the organizations, to change many small bumps that we did not even feel before with the 2021 car, and now we can spin or have a pretty big accident due to those situations. So If I had to ask or add something for 2026, it would be something that would protect us a little in that regard,” he concluded.