Carlos Sainz has outperformed his teammate Charles Leclerc since the beginning of the 2024 season. However, Sainz faced a major setback when Ferrari hired a new driver for the 2025 season and beyond. As a result, the Spaniard is currently without a seat in Formula 1 for the upcoming season. Nevertheless, Sainz is determined to showcase his racing skills and recently secured a victory at the Australian GP.
On the other hand, Leclerc lost valuable points in the championship due to appendicitis surgery during the Saudi Arabian GP. This puts him ahead of Sainz in terms of points, but Sainz has the advantage of a race win. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko highlighted the performance difference between the two Ferrari drivers.
Marko believes that Ferrari has significantly improved this season and avoided critical mistakes. He also stated that Sainz has been superior to Leclerc. Ferrari seems to have resolved fundamental issues earlier this year and has shown impressive performance so far.
During the free practice sessions at [circuit name], Sainz expressed his satisfaction with the car. However, the FP2 session was interrupted by unexpected rain, preventing many drivers from completing their laps. This was disappointing for all teams, as they had only one session left before qualifying. Sainz found a silver lining in the fact that everyone was facing the same challenge. He also mentioned that Ferrari could complete their preparation in the remaining session, FP3.
Ferrari will be aiming to win another race this weekend and has proven to be a strong competitor for Max Verstappen and Red Bull this season. Fans can expect an exciting battle for victory in the race at Suzuka between Ferrari and Red Bull.