Ferrari worried despite pole: "Settled in for the same problem"

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz did everything possible and recorded a one-two finish in qualifying. The two Ferrari drivers are on the front row of the grid but have Red Bull Racing breathing down their necks. Ferrari engineer Laurent Mekies admits his concern over Red Bull's straight-line speed. 

Miami circuit

For the first time in Formula 1 history, a race will be held around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The new track features two long straights. Throughout the season, Ferrari have dominated the tight twisty sections, but Red Bull have the upper hand on the straights. Mekies highlights this concern is in place, and they fear the same issue could cost them. 

"They are strong around the lap, but we have been exposed quite a few times this year to how fast they are in a straight line and it looks like we are settled in for the same problem here. It adds a layer of complexity but nonetheless hopefully we are a little less exposed than Jeddah. We expect that it will be dictated by tyre wear and then pace. It will be an intense chess game with Red Bull," Mekies said. 

Sainz has struggled with car control over recent weeks, with mistakes and unfortunate incidents costing him major points in the World Championship. Sainz crashed again in practice this weekend but managed to bounce back in qualifying. Mekies mentions how the Spaniard had to rebuild his confidence. 

"They [Charles and Carlos] both did an incredible job. Another fantastic lap from Charles we got used to it because he does it on a regular basis. On the other side it's true that with the accident that we had yesterday with Carlos we knew it was going to be difficult to rebuild the confidence to try to compensate for the time you lose," he said.