The Turkish Grand Prix, the first held by Ferrari with both single-seaters equipped with the new ‘enhanced’ hybrid power unit, gave emotions and spectacle to the fans of the Cavallino. Charles Leclerc, fourth at the finish line, he occupied the third position for a long time and was forced to give up the podium only for the extreme attempt to chase that victory that the Italian team misses from the 2019 Singapore GP. the intermediate tires by now worn, in the hope of being able to finish the race without making the pit stop. The ambitious plan did not go well, but having concretely fought for success certainly confirmed the progress of the SF21.
The splendid comeback of Carlos Sainz, who started last and finished eighth after an endless series of overtaking on the track that earned him the recognition of ‘driver of the day’. The Spaniard’s handicap race was the best possible ‘spot’ to highlight the qualities of the new Ferrari power unit. Interviewed by Sky Sport 24 the sports director of Maranello, Laurent Mekies, he returned to talk about the weekend in Istanbul, recognizing the fundamental work of the drivers in the growth of the team. An important value that in Ferrari they hope will become decisive in 2022, with the expected technical revolution.
“As a pure performance it was a good weekend – said Mekies – perhaps not the best of the year because even in Monte Carlo we were at a good level. We were close to the fastest cars on a traditional track. It is important for us to bring home these points and reduce the gap from third place, it was a solid performance for the whole team. It was important to take risks and have the courage to try to win. We tried it, it seemed like it could work, but when Bottas overtook us we preferred to secure fourth place. Leclerc and Sainz had a fantastic weekend, their integration and their desire to be part of this team is an advantage. Sainz kept his spirits high with an incredible pace and gave us a hand. Lthe team is growing mainly thanks to our riders, which are the heart of the project “he concluded.