Carlos Sainz ‘disconnects’ with the world as he trains to overcome Ferrari’s miserable start to the F1 season

Carlos Sainz recently posted a video where he was seen having quality time with his friends and training ahead of the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP. The Spaniard had a horrendous week in Australia, where he received a five-second penalty for accidentally hitting Fernando Alonso during the second race restart. Hence, Sainz has been taking a four-week spring break to reset himself and return with a fresher mind.

In the Instagram video, he explained where he went and how he will be using the weekend to rejuvenate with his friends in Costa Terra, Portugal. He said:

"We are here in Portugal, in a place called Costa Terra. It's a bit of a weekend to disconnect, but also a weekend to have fun."

In the caption of the video, he stated:

"A week of training and friends to prepare for Baku. Let’s go @scuderiaferrari!"

The video featured a series of pictures where Carlos Sainz was seen playing golf, football, and even surfing with a bunch of his friends. Of course, this is also part of his training and how he keeps himself fit for the next race.

Though neither Ferrari drivers have had the best start to the 2023 F1 season, Sainz has scored many more points than Charles Leclerc. Unfortunately, the last race at Albert Park was the worst for the entire Italian team.

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Carlos Sainz issues statement after FIA rejects Ferrari's plea to retract his Australian GP penalty

After the 2023 F1 Australian GP, Ferrari issued the 'right to review' documents and urged the FIA to retract the penalty given to Carlos Sainz. Unfortunately, the FIA rejected the plea, stating that the evidence provided by the team was insufficient and not convincing enough. Carlos Sainz took to his official social media handles to release a statement regarding this, which read:

"Very disappointed that the FIA did not grant us a right to review."

He added:

"Two weeks later, I still think the penalty is too disproportionate and I believe it should have at least been reviewed on the basis of the evidence and reasoning we have presented. We have to continue working together to improve certain things for the future. The consistency and decision making process has been a hot topic for many seasons now and we need to be clearer for the sake of our sport. What happened in Australia is now in the past and I am 100% focused on the next race in Baku."

Although he was extremely disappointed to see FIA rejecting his and Ferrari's right to review the appeal, he is currently focused on the next race in Baku and is working hard to perform well in it. Currently, Carlos Sainz sits in fifth place in the drivers' championship with 20 points.