Carlos Sainz appeared at the press conference ahead of the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix, a race marked by rule changes that affect all teams, who will have to change their front wings, but the Madrid native does not believe that much change will be noticeable. He also commented on his adaptation to the team and lamented that the good performance has not been reflected in the points.
Carlos Sainz and the Spanish Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz is excited to be competing in another Spanish Grand Prix in front of his home crowd. He explains that racing at home always gives him extra motivation and happiness.
“I’m getting good vibes and a lot of support from the fans. I always come here in a good mood and smile everywhere I go. I want to get out on the track, enjoy myself, and put on a good show for the fans.”
However, Carlos Sainz warns that it will not be an easy circuit for Williams; in fact, it will be one of the most difficult so far this season. This has been reflected over the last few seasons for the team, which has not achieved good results.
“We don’t like long high-speed corners, but I hope it will be a track where we can show Williams’ improvements.” “We haven’t made it past Q1 since 2021, but we’re confident about moving forward this season.”
But despite the expectations for this race, Sainz has confidence in the team because of the desire they show in every race, and he recalls the result in Monaco, where the team was angry about finishing ninth and tenth because they had made mistakes in setting up the car.
“We made mistakes in Monaco with the car setup, which compromised our performance and we finished ninth and tenth. We were frustrated. If you had asked me a year ago, we would have been celebrating.” “Barcelona, ninth and tenth could be a good result. After China, it’s the most difficult track we face.”
The new FIA regulations
The world of F1 is eagerly awaiting to see how the new FIA regulations will affect the sport, as they eliminate the flexibility of the wings, which will now be more rigid. Some teams will improve and others will get worse, but Carlos Sainz believes that there will be no major changes on the grid.
“I don’t think it will affect as much as people think. We’re talking about a front wing, it’s going to be more rigid and won’t flex as much, but I wouldn’t expect more than a tenth of a second difference between teams, I don’t think it will change much.” However, with the current level of equality in F1, a tenth of a second above one team and a tenth below another can cause big changes.
Performance with Williams
Carlos Sainz feels almost 100% adapted to the Williams, but regrets that this is not reflected in the points on his tally. However, it is not something that worries him; the important thing is that the team improves for next year.
“This year, I don’t care so much about the points as the speed I have in the car and how we can improve, both the car and the race management, which has cost us points, but as long as we have speed, the points will come.”
For performance, Alex Palou, winner of last Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, has had nothing but praise for him. The Madrid native has only had words of praise for him.
“Someone who wins the Indy 500 should have the opportunity to show what he can do in F1 and would be welcome.” “I’ve always held him in high esteem, he was very fast in the cadet series, and what he’s doing in the United States is admirable. To dominate Indy the way he’s doing, you have to be very good.”