Sainz: chassis replaced due to damage to the tank | FormulaPassion.it

“We thank the team who worked late into the night to solve the problems on Carlos’s car and all the people who worked in Maranello to fine-tune the updates introduced in this race. They worked, although we believe that to maximize their potential we will need to wait a few more runs “. Thus the head of Ferrari’s track operations Laurent Mekies wanted to underline the work carried out between Friday and Saturday by the Ferrari mechanics to replace the chassis on Carlos Sainz’s F1-75, an operation which involved the use of one of the two jokers available during the season to break the curfew on the eve of the third free practice session.

“A big thank you goes to the mechanics for the super job they did tonight in changing the frame”echoed Mekies Sainz himself, an operation that of replacing the frame made necessary by the fact that gods have emerged damage to the tankmost likely a legacy of the accidents that saw Sainz as protagonist in Australia, Imola and, above all, Miami where the impact against the barriers was quite hard although it occurred at low speed due to the absence of TecPro barriers in that point.

“It’s still early for team orders” was another statement by Laurent Mekies before the third free practice session, with Carlos Sainz who, on the eve of the home appointment, proved to be fighting, pointing out that he still has 17 races to make up for a gap from Charles Leclerc who currently amounts to 51 points. Yesterday in Qualifying, however, the direct confrontation with the box mate was merciless. Leclerc managed to save a tire in Q2 by setting an amazing time with a used tire set, Sainz didn’t make it. In Q3, despite the error in the first run, Leclerc managed to conquer the pole position by trimming more than four tenths to his teammate.

A heavy passive to continue to cherish dreams of glory, unless you are able to place a turnaround in the race today. There departure it will be very important, Sainz will have to return the overtaking suffered by Verstappen in Miami and then challenge Leclerc on tire management, a more leveled battleground between the two Ferrari drivers. On the flying lap, acrobat Leclerc is on another planet not only for Sainz, but probably for everyone.