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Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was left disappointed after the 2023 F1 Canadian GP as he felt a better result was possible. The Spaniard did not have a great qualifying session on Saturday, which was made worse by a three-place grid drop penalty. Due to the penalty, Sainz started the race in P11 and could only manage a P5 finish in the main race.
While a progression from P11 to P5 is impressive, the Ferrari driver felt there was more on the table that could not be exploited. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko stated ahead of the race that the Prancing Horse, especially Charles Leclerc's long-run performance, pose the biggest threat in Canada.
The two Ferrari drivers, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, were impressive when the duo opted out of pitting during the safety car period and ended up making a lot of places. Talking to Sky Sport after the race, Sainz could not hide his disappointment as he said:
"It's a pity about qualy yesterday because I think we could have been in the mix with Aston Martin. We will try and be better next time but at least today the feeling with the car today was good. We nailed the strategy today. We are making progress but out competitiveness depends circuit by circuit."
Sainz added:
"Coming here we knew we would be stronger because of the layout. Let's see when we go to Austria how everything feels. So, at least here we were definitely one step ahead than Barcelona."
Carlos Sainz's teammate Charles Leclerc is focusing on the positives from the weekend
Sainz's teammate Charles Leclerc is trying to take away the positives from the weekend, focusing on the progress made by the drivers during the race. Talking to Sky Sports after the race, Leclerc stressed how he and Carlos Sainz were able to make their way through the grid. He said:
"Considering where we started from it was the best we could have done today. We did a good job. The good feeling I had on Friday in the race simulations was confirmed today. The compounds we used, we were quite competitive with. So some positives to take."
Due to multiple reliability issues that plagued Leclerc early on in the season, Sainz is fifth in the drivers' standings, ahead of both George Russell and Charles Leclerc. Having said that, the Spaniard is yet to secure a podium this season while both of those drivers have.
