Carlos Sainz: I am very happy

To the delight of the tifosi, Carlos Sainz climbed the podium in Monza. After the finish, the Spaniard summed up the results of a successful weekend…

Q: Carlos, great spot for the first podium of the season! What did you feel after the finish?
Carlos SainzA: I was very happy. Third place in Monza for the tifosi is a great result of the weekend when we knew the Red Bull cars would be faster.

I did everything I could to keep them behind, especially in the first stint when I was leading. It almost cost me the podium because I put a lot of pressure on the tyres. It made me vulnerable – I was under constant pressure – first Max, then Sergio, then Charles. In the end I came third, although it was very difficult.

Q: At one point during the first stint of the race, when Max was behind you, did you think you could win?
Carlos SainzA: Yes, at the very beginning. I was sure everything was under control, but then, around lap 10-12, the left rear tire started to lose efficiency much sooner than I expected.

At that point I realized that I was putting too much pressure on the tires trying to keep Max behind me and that it would be difficult for me during the race because of the early pit stop when moving to Hard. And so it happened.

To be honest, I didn’t expect so much tire wear, but I really tried my best to keep Max behind me. Maybe more than I or the machine needed.

Q: What were you told about team tactics? What instructions were you given before the race about fighting Charles?
Carlos Sainz: It was clear that once in the DRS zone the car would be faster, but we understood that in Monza we could both fight for the podium.

We were allowed to fight, we acted decently. The fight with Charles was exciting, just like with Sergio and Max. It was a good day for Formula 1, a good show. I did everything I could to stay ahead.

Q: Because the cars are set up for low downforce, the DRS efficiency is lower at Monza than at other circuits, so we saw more overtaking in the braking zones than on the straights. Did you like it? Do you see this as a way to further develop Formula 1?
Carlos SainzA: We had high top speed and no DRS. And Red Bull had both high speed and slipstim and an effective recuperation system to attack us under braking, so the fight turned out to be interesting.

But 99% of tracks need effective DRS as these cars are slowly becoming similar to 2020 or 2021 cars that were extremely difficult to overtake. Obviously Monza is a special case, where DRS is combined with very long straights with slipstream, which helps a bit in the battle, but I think we will need DRS on the rest of the circuits.

Question: In the past your car lost efficiency with a disrupted airflow, but in Monza this was not the case…
Carlos Sainz: If we compare ourselves to Mercedes and other teams, we had a good pace this weekend. Compared to Red Bull they were clearly faster, especially from the fifth and sixth laps when the tires got warmer. At this point you feel that Red Bull has better control of the situation and can attack more actively with less wear. We are also trying to find such a solution.

A lot depends on the aerodynamics, we have to keep working on the body kit for next year. Well, this year we got what we got.

Q: Carlos, in the absence of team tactics, were you not afraid of losing the podium at the end of the race?
Carlos Sainz: If the team had given the order, I would have understood. If I were Charles, I wouldn’t like it. It all depends on the position you are in.

It was a fight at the limit, but that’s what the fans want to see. And I enjoyed it.

Question: Several teams have opted for a strategy of two pit stops, although everyone was sure before the start that they would cover the distance with one tire change without any problems. Was the tire degradation more than you expected before the race?
Carlos Sainz: It seemed to me that the relegation was high. In this race, the strategy of two pit stops would have worked better than one tire change. I missed four or five laps in each segment – at the end of the segment the rubber literally died, causing the car to slide so badly

Q: You led the second and third practice, won qualifying, led the race. Do you think this weekend is the best for you in Formula 1?
Carlos Sainz: Unsure. I also had other strong weekends. Maybe they went unnoticed, because then I was fighting in the middle group, but I felt like I got the most out of the car.

This year is definitely the best race of a career for Ferrari – maybe. This weekend I was always comfortable in the car, especially on a fast lap. I felt at home, on Saturday I was able to do some nice laps and win pole position, on Sunday it was more difficult, but I understood what I had to work on.