Carlos Sainz was all smiles as he arrived in the Spielberg paddock to meet the media in the FIA press conference, where he talked about his expectations for the Austrian weekend. “The Canadian Grand Prix was a real confidence boost for everyone in the team including we drivers, because we had a car that performed consistently so that we could push during the race and make up places,” he said.
A lot of work to do. However, Carlos was not under any illusions: “I’m sure we made progress in Montreal, even if the track layout probably helped us,” said the Spaniard. “The result there was nothing special, a fourth and a fifth place, but the perception from our point of view was clearly different and I think I can say it was our best race of the season. Having said that, it’s hard to see how we can compete at the same level as Red Bull at the moment, despite the upgrades we have brought here. On that topic, I want to thank everyone at Maranello, because they really made a big effort. The important thing is to stay focussed and continue to get everything out of the car. This weekend we have the Sprint format, which means it is vital to start off on the right foot right from the only free practice session in the early afternoon tomorrow.”