Three weeks. Ferrari was on Cloud 9 for three weeks. From the Italian GP to the Singapore GP, 2023 was all the Scuderia could’ve wished for. But at the Japanese GP, Carlos Sainz and his team crashed back down to reality. The reality? It’s 2023, as in the season that will forever be known as Red Bull’s. The Milton-Keynes squad has been unbeatable this season. Well, almost. The Marina Bay Circuit ruined its party, and Sainz and Ferrari took full advantage. Following the highs of winning its first race since the 2022 Austrian GP, the Scuderia was forced to return to ground zero in Suzuka.  

Ground zero for Ferrari in the past few years has meant being probably the third-best car on the grid. As Red Bull and Max Verstappen assumed their leading duties once again, Sainz & Co. had to settle for a disappointing result on Saturday, especially after the Spaniard’s two consecutive pole positions in Monza and Singapore. After qualifying laid bare Sunday’s challenges to come, expectations at Ferrari are split. It’s Carlos Sainz versus Frederic Vasseur.

Carlos Sainz isn’t too optimistic about his Japanese GP outing

Vasseur became Team Principal of Ferrari this season. Since he joined Maranello, he’s made drastic efforts to change the mindset at Ferrari and has diversified the team. After starting 2023 on the back foot, Vasseur helped the team find its stride. Following the win in Singapore, Ferrari would’ve wanted to build on its momentum—edging out its direct competitors. While it did so with Mercedes during qualifying in Suzuka, it fell short of McLaren.

After starting from P1 for two races in a row, P6 was the best Sainz could achieve in Japan. With Charles Leclerc in P4, both Ferrari drivers will start Sunday’s race behind the McLaren boys in P2 and P3. Based on practice data, Ferrari has better race pace than McLaren. In light of this, Vasseur seemed hopeful of his team’s chances. As quoted by Formula Passion, he said, “The race is open. We showed good pace on Friday. The track is very demanding, and it is much hotter than usual here in Suzuka. It will be a challenge in terms of strategies. However, we have a good opportunity to catch the McLarens because we showed good pace.” [Translated by Google]

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That’s where the Spaniard isn’t on the same page as his boss. Discussing his subpar qualifying performance, as reported by Formula Passion, Sainz said, “I know that even with a much better or cleaner lap in terms of driving, it wouldn’t have brought me much more. Red Bull is ahead, and for me, so are the McLarens. It will be difficult to beat them.” [Translated by Google] Catching Red Bull is out of the question for almost everyone. Although Sainz had the edge on Lando Norris in Singapore, he doesn’t see a repeat happening in Suzuka.

Read More: “You Are Lying”: Fans Destroy Carlos Sainz for Two-Faced Tactics as Charles Leclerc Makes a ‘Return’

Needless to say, Sainz feels his main competitor will be Leclerc. While Sainz had the upper hand on his teammate for the past few weeks, the Monegasque will be the leading Ferrari on Sunday. How will that play out amidst ongoing tensions?

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are at odds when it comes to the SF-23

Almost throughout the first half of the season, Leclerc got the upper hand on Sainz in qualifying. As a result, when he was ahead of the Spaniard in the race, Ferrari usually gave team orders to keep Sainz behind. Since the summer break, though, Sainz has been more at one with the SF-23. With recent upgrades, Sainz has been making more out of the chances Ferrari’s been getting. Discussing the upgrades, Leclerc said, “I’m not completely comfortable with the car at the moment. There’s a bit too much understeer for my liking. It’s great to see that Carlos feels at ease.”

When Sainz was asked if he was comfortable in the car, he said, “Honestly, I don’t feel like the car has come anywhere near what I want or what I like. The car is still a tricky car to drive. It’s still a car that hasn’t given us an easy time this year.” Ferrari brought a new floor to Suzuka; evidently, Sainz and Leclerc have been struggling with it. Now that Leclerc has the upper hand on Sunday, will Ferrari revert to its first-half favoritism toward Leclerc? Whatever Ferrari decides to do, it will also have its fight against Mercedes for P2 in the championship at the back of its mind.

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Can Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc challenge the McLarens on Sunday?