Ferrari sees Sainz on P2: "It really wasn’t easy"

Laurent Mekies is happy with the qualifying from Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard finished second behind Lando Norris at the Sochi circuit and never managed to qualify better than this in Formula 1. At Ferrari they hope to convert the good starting position into a podium.

"A very closely contested qualifying, run in very tricky track conditions, ended with one of our drivers on the front row of the grid," Mekies stated to his employer's official channels. "Carlos did a very good job on his final lap on dry tyres, as it really wasn’t easy to find the right feeling in these conditions. The team worked well with the driver, making the right choices at the right time."

Leclerc overtaking

Charles Leclerc got his fourth engine of the season fitted in his car, so the Monegasque had to start from P19 due to a grid penalty. He then also failed to return to action on track in Q2. "We decided he should at least go out in Q1 so he could check the handling of his car in the wet and in fact Charles was very competitive."

So for Ferrari's strategic men, it will be two very different races on Sunday. "As usual, our aim is to get the best possible result, trying to make the most of any opportunity that comes our way," concludes the racing director.