"A lot of it is still aerodynamics" - Carlos Sainz on why the improved Ferrari race pace was not enough to take on Max Verstappen and Red Bull

Carlos Sainz recently talked about why Ferrari’s improved race pace in the 2023 Italian GP was not enough to beat Red Bull. Speaking to Sportskeeda in the post-race press conference, the Spaniard said their pace was only good enough to keep the Mercedes and other teams at bay.

Unlike past races where the Ferrari SF23 suffered from severe degradation and lost performance, this time around both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc seemed to be able to manage their backs and battle other cars.

Asked by Sportskeeda if it was the new low downforce update that improved their pace and reduced degradation in the race, the Spaniard replied that they were still figuring out their aero package.

Explaining his understanding of the degradation of their car in Monza, Carlos Sainz said:

“If you compare us to Mercedes and other teams, it looked like we did have some decent pace this weekend. If you compare us to Red Bull, they were clearly quicker for me, especially from lap five, lap six once the tyres coming to temperature and you're driving on a hotter tyre and with less grip than the first five laps when the tyre is new."

He continued:

"There is where you clearly feel that the Red Bull can make a difference and can either manage more but keep a good pace or they can either just push more for a faster pace and deg less. It’s difficult.

"We are trying to find the solution and the way forward. I do believe a lot of is still aerodynamics and we still need to keep working on our aero package for next year. For this year, I think it’s what we have and that's why there are so dominant in the races.”

Both Ferrari drivers were battling each other and other drivers in warmer temperatures, and their cars seemed to be maintaining a decent pace at the Monza circuit.

While speaking to Sportskeeda in the past, Carlos Sainz explained several times how their car suffered from severe degradation in both clean and dirty air. According to the Spanish driver, they did have some degradation and were managing their tires throughout.

The former McLaren driver said they had a choice between more pace or opting for lesser degradation and just managing their pace. He feels the Maranello team are yet to find a solution for the problem and might have to continue in the same manner throughout the 2023 season.

However, the Spaniard battled both Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, and Leclerc to finish in third place.

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Carlos Sainz feels the battle with Charles Leclerc was good entertainment, despite team orders

Carlos Sainz said that his feisty battle with Charles Leclerc was a good show for the thousands of ‘Tifosi’ that had turned up in Monza for the race. The Spanish driver believes that since both were fighting for the same podium, it was going to be a tight battle to the end.

Upon being asked about the team orders that were given to maintain position on the final lap, the Ferrari driver said he would have felt the same if he were in the Monegasque’s position. The duo’s feisty battle was the highlight of the race, with some risky maneuvers.

Asked about his battle with Leclerc, the Spaniard said:

“We obviously knew that the car that is in DRS is always going to be feeling like it's the quicker car – but we know that around this track, once you get into that DRS, you feel quicker and we knew that. But at the same time, we know we were both fighting for a podium in Monza. So, there was always going to be a bit of a fight, a bit of a battle."

He further said:

In the end, we kept it clean. There were a couple of nice moves here and there, tight battles. But I think today, honestly, I enjoyed battling Max, battling Checo, battling Charles. I think it was a good day for F1. As you said, a good show. And I just did everything I could to stay in front and it worked.”

As for team orders during the race, Carlos Sainz said:

“I would have understand it both ways. If they would have given team orders, I would have understand. If I would have been Charles trying to get a podium, obviously I wouldn't have liked the team orders. So it completely depends on the position you're in."

Carlos Sainz added:

"I'm not going to lie, it is very depending on a very subjective position or feeling. I think it was on the limit but it was nice teammates, hard, F1 battle you know, which in the end is also I guess what you guys want to see. And I had fun doing it.

Despite starting on pole position for the race, Carlos Sainz finished third and was followed by Charles Leclerc in fourth. However, the duo’s feisty battle led to the Spanish driver eventually asking his team if they could bring the car back to the same position.

The message was later relayed to the Monegasque, who was told not to race the Spaniard. The current result has propelled Ferrari to third place in the driver’s championship, as they trail Mercedes and Red Bull, who are first and second, respectively.