"The lap time is going to be the same going one way or the other" - Carlos Sainz claims there is no definite setup for success at Azerbaijan GP

Carlos Sainz believes there is no sweet spot for success at the Azerbaijan GP when it comes to setups. This weekend, we have seen multiple solutions tried out by various teams to counter the challenges put forth by the track in Baku. Alpine tried its skinny rear-wing and McLaren opted for a different approach that left the car a bit down on straightline speed.

When questioned about what set up was necessary for success at the Azerbaijan GP, Carlos Sainz explained that, in the end, it's the trade-off between straight-line speed and performance in the twisty part. More often than not, drivers opt for a setup that gives them confidence and hence they take that forward at the weekend.

The Ferrari driver said:

“There’s always a trade and I think you can get to a race win or a good result following both directions. You can be a bit quicker in the corners or a bit quicker on the straight. All our simulations are fairly flat in telling you that the lap time is going to be the same going one way or the other you know, so you just need to pick your trade, trust your process, your instinct and make sure you have a car that gives you confidence, because here you need a lot of braking confidence, to brake late and to be close to a wall.”

He continued:

“So it’s a great challenge for us drivers but also for teams in terms of setting up the car and I think it’s a great circuit. I enjoy coming here and it’s been good for Formula 1, I think, Baku recently.”

Carlos Sainz will be starting the race on the second row of the grid in P4 and will be looking to move forward in the race.

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Carlos Sainz: To win in F1, everything needs to be on your side

Carlos Sainz finished second in Monaco and was right on Sergio Perez's heels in the race. The Spaniard was asked whether he felt there was a possibility of a better result in the Principality. Sainz gave a pragmatic reply and admitted that in F1, a lot of moving parts need to come together to win a race. In Monaco, that simply did not happen.

He said:

“Looking back at it if I would have pitted one lap earlier I would have more margin with Checo but I had different traffic in my window. If I would have pitted one lap late I would have probably got undercut by Checo. So it’s just shows that in Formula 1 for winning everything needs to be on your side. ”

The Spaniard will be hoping to bag his maiden victory this weekend at the Azerbaijan GP.