Sainz saw insane gap with Red Bull and Mercedes: 'Very big advantage'

Ferrari is in an excellent shape this season. In the first three Grands Prix it had at least one driver on the podium each time, Charles Leclerc also holds the lead in the world championship. Carlos Sainz sees a clear difference with recent years.

The Italian outfit may be a top team, but since Kimi Raikkonen's world title in 2007, Ferrari failed to take the season's top prize. After a disappointing 2020, when Ferrari failed to move beyond the middle of the standings, Mattia Binotto's team went through a meteoric rise.

Last season Ferrari showed strong performances on several occasions, finishing third in the constructors' championship. The difference with Red Bull Racing and Mercedes was, however, still huge. The new regulations have allowed Ferrari to compete for prizes again.

"We needed a blank sheet of paper because Red Bull and Mercedes with the previous regulations, they just had a very big advantage on the rest of the field," Sainz explained to Motorsportweek.com. "And we felt like that gap was very difficult to cut back without a reset."