Sainz disappointed with P4: "I felt in contention for pole"

Carlos Sainz will have some work to do tomorrow to get ahead of the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez and his teammate Charles Leclerc, but the Ferrari driver was hoping to have to defend from them in the race rather than attack.

The Spaniard does however believe that pole position was a chance today in his mind and that he does have a strong chance in the race, despite starting behind his three biggest rivals this season.

"It's a pity but at the same time we have done some progress throughout the day and I felt in contention for pole," he told Sky Sports and later added, "We have a pretty strong chance also in the race. I think it's been neck to neck with the Red Bull. Normally, 10 laps into the stint they seem to have better pace, but it's yet to be seen this weekend."

When asked about how he felt the race could go, Sainz made a bold statement, saying: "the long runs on Friday aren't long enough to tell us what will happen. With a good start and a smart strategy, I think we can still be on the podium or win it."