Ferrari introduced a complete set of upgrades to its first of two dwelling races, which it had shaken down throughout a filming day at Fiorano final week.
The replace coated a whole lot of areas on the automobile, together with the ground, the wings, sidepod and engine cowl, elevating hopes of the Tifosi that, following McLaren’s leap ahead in Miami with its personal spec replace, Ferrari could possibly be subsequent to problem Purple Bull on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Qualifying on Saturday burst that bubble, with Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc overwhelmed by Max Verstappen and each McLaren vehicles.
Leclerc certified two-tenths off the Dutchman in fourth, with Sainz nearly half a second in arrears in fifth.
However in line with Sainz, who will transfer as much as fourth after Oscar Piastri’s impeding penalty, the brand new equipment works fully as meant.
“It is labored precisely as we anticipated,” the Spaniard stated. “For some cause, everybody anticipated us to be flying this weekend with the brand new bundle.
“I have been seeing numbers of our bundle going round that have been fully out of actuality.
“These days, already to convey a tenth is an effective job by your workforce. I am not saying we have introduced one, two or half a tenth, however not the numbers individuals have been mentioning.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“With that in thoughts, it was all the time going to be troublesome to take a bounce this weekend as a result of persons are additionally upgrading their vehicles.”
Sainz stated he predicted to battle in opposition to Piastri and Lando Norris as a result of he anticipated Imola to be a “McLaren monitor”, with Ferrari on the again foot within the first sector and thru the Variante Alta chicane.
“Now we have come to a McLaren circuit, which is Imola, and I feel it was all the time going to be troublesome to beat McLaren round right here,” he defined.
Sainz was particularly alarmed by Ferrari’s deficit by means of sector one, saying it was “puzzling how we may be four-tenths down in a single sector.”
He thought a tailwind from Tamburello to Tosa significantly harm Ferrari’s dealing with, though a considerable a part of the hole to polesitter Verstappen’s was right down to the Purple Bull’s increased prime pace, which was boosted by a tow from Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg.
Leclerc additionally had his personal principle, suggesting to Sky Sports activities Italy that the Purple Bull was in a position to take the kerbs extra aggressively than the Ferraris, which have been struggling in lower-speed corners this season.
“We do not perceive what we’re lacking there [at Tamburello],” he provided.
“We tried many issues but it surely’s all the time the identical corners that penalise us. It is one thing we all know and work on, it isn’t one thing we uncover now.
“We all know a robust level of the Purple Bulls is how far they’ll go on the kerbs. I attempted to take the kerbs, however with our automobile, we will not do the identical factor proper now.”