Carlos Sainz says he’s more than content to be racing in a blue car in 2025, especially as his old team continues to flounder.
Carlos Sainz says he is more than content to be racing in a blue car in 2025 — especially as his old team continues to flounder.
At Imola on Saturday, Charles Leclerc‘s radio summed up Ferrari‘s dismal day. The Monegasque could only repeat the words “My God” in disbelief after failing to make it into Q3 — just like his new teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
Team principal Frederic Vasseur pointed the finger at tyres again. “It’s almost a copy-paste of what happened two weeks ago in Miami,” he said.
“We weren’t able to improve with the new set of tyres and we did the fastest lap with the first set of Q2.
“Why? If we knew, we would have already solved it.”
But Leclerc was less diplomatic.
“You can change the tyres but the car just doesn’t work,” he said. “The potential isn’t there.”
When asked whether the next major upgrade — due in Barcelona — might be Ferrari’s turnaround, Vasseur didn’t sugar-coat it.
“If I say yes, then I’m stupid if you look at what we did today,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sainz — now driving for Williams after being displaced by Hamilton, out-qualified both Ferraris at the team’s home race.
“I didn’t expect that at the start of the season,” Sainz grinned.
“It’s true that I had a lot of faith in the (Williams) project with the numbers they showed me, but being ahead of the Ferraris for the second race in a row? If you had told me this before the start of the year, I would have signed the Williams contract even faster than I did.”
Despite the current satisfaction, Sainz isn’t closing the door on a future return to Maranello.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, he said: “If they call me in the future, I’ll be back.”
But questions are starting to swirl about Ferrari’s slow progress under Vasseur. Even F1 CEO and former Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali weighed in.
“Ferrari is a privilege and a responsibility,” he told Sky Italia at Imola. “But we have to let Vasseur work.”
One journalist suggested that the root of Ferrari’s woes lies in the rear suspension, with speculation growing about a redesigned concept in the works.
Vasseur, however, didn’t give much away.
“What I love about journalists is that I learn more from you than I do from the team during race weekends,” he quipped.
“We’re not where we want to be, but there’s no single flaw in a car, just as there’s no magic thing about winning cars.
“We’re working and trying to improve, but there won’t be a magic solution.”