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Carlos Sainz has admitted that he expects Ferrari to beat Mercedes "fair and square" in the second half of the 2022 season. This is despite the Silver Arrows' arguably superior pace at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Ferrari were nowhere near the Red Bulls last weekend in Spa. However, Sainz managed to fight off George Russell, who got painfully close to securing yet another podium finish from the Spaniard.
Sainz was asked about his race in Spa and whether it was potentially the best of his career in a press conference ahead of the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix. In response, he said:
"No, I don't think it was my best race in Formula 1. Thanks for the birthday wishes again. But I think it was a better race, one of my better races of this season with Ferrari. I wouldn't say in Ferrari, but this season with Ferrari because it was a tough race.
"There was not a lot of pace in the car and it was quite tough to hold George there at the end on a fresher set of tyres. Am I worried about Mercedes? Worried is not the right word."
Sainz continued:
"I think we know they're going to be there pretty much every Sunday, especially Sundays they seem to pick up a lot of pace compared to qualifying and they are always there.
"I'm always surprised how in qualifying, they can be maybe one second off sometimes. And suddenly, come race day, your engineer comes on the radio, and they tell you the lap times of Lewis and George. And it's like sometimes they are even quicker, so worry, yeah, we know they're going to be there, but I think we can still beat them fair and square.”
Ferrari kicked off the 2022 F1 season on a very strong note, but their performances have since dipped. Red Bull, on the other hand, have shown unmatched consistency and pace over the course of the year.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen himself has secured nine wins over the last 14 races, while the Prancing Horse has been falling behind in the constructors' standings.
Meanwhile, Mercedes had a shockingly underwhelming start to the year with their porpoising issues and are yet to secure their first win of the season. However, the team has swiftly started to catch up to Ferrari in the championship, posing quite the threat to the Italian team's second-place position.
"Fair credit to Max" - Mercedes team boss on Max Verstappen's season so far
Max Verstappen has dominated the 2022 season so far, and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has confessed that the Dutchman deserves credit for his performances.
As reported by Express, the Austrian said:
"Fair credit to Max, how he is doing things, and Red Bull. The rules are the rules. I don't want any goalposts moved. We just need to get better, meet our own expectations and beat them with their rules."
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton shared one of the most intense rivalries the sport has witnessed in 2021. However, this year, Mercedes have been unable to give their drivers a car that could possibly challenge the championship leader.
