Carlos Sainz now admits F1 driver ‘changed my mindset’ after Ferrari decision

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Carlos Sainz has now admitted that the Formula 1 driver ‘changed my mindset’ after Ferrari decided to set variable targets per race in the second half of the 2023 season.

The 29-year-old endured a mixed campaign this year as the Scuderia struggled to thwart the dominance of Red Bull. But Sainz was the only driver other than Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez to win a Grand Prix in 2023. He drove a faultless race to claim P1 at the Singapore GP.

Sainz judged his lead over Lando Norris to perfection to keep his old McLaren teammate sat in DRS range. The Ferrari star knew he had the pace to cover the Briton. But by letting Norris stay within one second, Sainz knew George Russell of Mercedes would not threaten his lead.

Ferrari’s slow start to the 2023 season ‘disappointed’ Sainz

Expectations at Maranello at the start of the season were more affiliated to Ferrari and Sainz contesting for regular wins. But Red Bull ‘surprised’ the Scuderia and also left their one-time driver academy member ‘disappointed’ with quite how dominant their RB19 would become.

Sainz did not score a podium until Ferrari’s home race when he took pole and came home in P3 at the Italian GP in September. It also followed the Scuderia changing their targets after a frustrating start to the year that made Sainz tweak how he tackled every race weekend after.

“I think the first part of the year was difficult because we all expected more, including me,” Sainz said, via Motorsport-Total. “I was a little disappointed and surprised at the gap to Red Bull on some tracks and the way we couldn’t really fight for the goals we had set ourselves.

“In the second half, it was clear to me and the team that it was about making the most of our opportunities and recognising the fact that there would be races in which we would fight for pole position and, perhaps, victory.

“But there will also be other tracks where we have to settle for P5, P6 or P7 because we are almost a second off the race pace. Acknowledging that and adjusting to it changed my mindset and I realised that every weekend would be a little different.

“It was just about being consistent, getting points for the team and making the most of what we have. And in the second half, there were very few mistakes. I think I got the most out of the car, [I] extracted what was available to us.”

Sainz had an upturn in form after a mid-season realisation

Ferrari started the 2023 F1 season as the second-best team behind Red Bull in qualifying for the Bahrain GP. Charles Leclerc had the third-fastest time in Q3 ahead of Sainz for a second-row lock-out. But Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso would beat Sainz to finish on the podium.

Sainz would ultimately have to wait until the 14th round of the season to stand on a rostrum at Monza. He would also not finish a Grand Prix higher than P5 between rounds two and 13. The Madrid native finished the Australian GP in P4 but fell to 12th after receiving a penalty.

Ferrari changed their targets for the rest of the season amid Sainz’s run of races without any Grand Prix podiums. Yet he made the rostrum for their home race before winning from pole at the Singapore GP. Lewis Hamilton’s United States GP disqualification also gifted Sainz P3.