Sainz Aims for Imola Glory as Ferrari Tests Upgrades

Carlos Sainz is optimistic for a strong performance at Imola, anticipating a busy Friday testing Ferrari’s SF-24 updates.

Carlos Sainz was in high demand by the many fans upon his arrival in the Imola paddock, even though it was only Thursday.

The Spaniard then met with the press to talk about the special feeling he experiences at the Autodromo Dino e Enzo Ferrari.

“It can’t get any better. Driving for Ferrari at Imola, hopefully with a small step forward in the car this weekend. Life is good. I can’t complain. And what a beautiful circuit to start in Europe!”

“This track gives you a unique sensation, it’s an old-school style with a narrow track, gravel in the run-off areas, and exciting corners like Piratella, the Acque Minerali turns, and the Variante Alta (now known as Variante Gresini).”

“Maybe only Suzuka gives a similar feeling, because here you really sense the speed, and that’s why we drivers love it so much.”

For Ferrari, Charles Leclerc and Sainz, tomorrow will be a particularly busy day.

“We have updates to test since it wasn’t really possible to evaluate them during the filming day at Fiorano, and at the same time, we have the usual setup work to do. So, I think it will be our busiest Friday of the season.”

“Naturally, I’m eager to get in the car, and we’ll see where we stand. Once again, I expect the gaps to be very tight among us all, and we hope to have good sensations with the car right away.”

Will the upgrades be enough to match McLaren and even Red Bull?

“I always think it depends on the track. In Miami, it was a track better suited to our car, and we had a very good pace, even if McLaren and Red Bull were maybe half a step ahead.”

“Our car was back to normal, whereas in China, it was really not good. So, I think we’ll be very dependent on the track, and I hope Imola will be one of those good tracks for us, and we can put on a good show for our fans.”

“That would be an ideal scenario. For the rest, we need to keep developing and improving on tracks like China, as there are certain types of corners where our car is really struggling at the moment, and we need to keep working on that.”

As for his future, nothing to report yet.

“When I have news, you’ll know too. But yes, things aren’t moving too fast…”