Carlos Sainz wants Ferrari to ‘be more like Red Bull’ for 2023 title tilt

Sam Cooper
Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates pole position alongside Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez. Spa-Francorchamps, August 2022.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates pole position alongside Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez. Spa-Francorchamps, August 2022.

Carlos Sainz said Ferrari must learn to “be more like Red Bull” if they want to go for the championship in 2023.

After emerging as an early candidate for both championships, Ferrari have fallen away spectacularly largely through their own actions.

One disaster after another both in terms of reliability and team strategy has seen them fall 139 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship and 116 points short of Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ standings.

With six grands prix to go, they have to instead focus on making sure they are not pipped to P2 by Mercedes and Sainz is hoping for a “steady end” to the 2022 campaign.

“I would like to have a steady end to the season, especially with the amount of things that have happened to us this year,” he told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

“I would like to have a quiet last part of the season, with less things happening to us and to be able to get into a rhythm for next year, which will be a new opportunity.”

As the oldest and most successful team in the sport’s history, Ferrari have often been criticised for being too stubborn when it comes to their approach.

Calls for change within the team have of yet gone unanswered but Sainz has admitted they needed to learn something from Red Bull if they are going to be able to compete in 2023.

He believes that while “the base is there” they needed to do things as perfectly as Red Bull are.

“We have a solid base from this year with a very good car and the team is making progress,” the 28-year-old said. “We have to try to improve a couple of things like reliability and consistency but we have to keep in mind that this year we have fought against a team like Red Bull that is doing things perfectly.

“We have to learn and be the one to do it like that next year.”

Sainz also wanted to focus on the “big step” the team had taken from 2021 to 2022 and said that he believes Ferrari will challenge for the title next season.

“This year we would have fought for the title if we had done things a little better and had had a bit of luck at the start of the season.

“Why not think that next year there is a new opportunity and it can be achieved? Ferrari, after the big step it has taken from last year to this one, has to set that goal.”

The Spaniard also had praise for Championship leader Verstappen who he said that, along with Red Bull, was “not failing in anything.”

“Verstappen is having a great year, but also Red Bull is not failing in anything. Neither in strategy nor in making important decisions.

“They take penalties in races where they know they will have the strongest car. They are having a very complete season and that makes them very difficult to beat.

“Not unbeatable and unattainable. Every race we are going to have a chance and we are going to try.”

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