Sainz tempers expectations: 'It won't be life-changing'

"There are a lot of good memories even from when I was a kid, you know, when I was 10 years old and I came here for the first time to meet Fernando, I met Michael, I saw Ferrari for the first time" Sainz said.

"And 18 years later to be actually driving here as a Ferrari driver with the options of at least trying to get a podium or a win. It's something really, really special." The Spaniard always seems to perform just a little better in his home country than at other Grands Prix, he himself acknowledged. "I am just in a better mood when I race at home and I do things with more interest, I do things with a bit more energy," the one-time race winner added.

Ferrari updates

Ferrari has brought updates to Barcelona. What will be the impact? "We have an upgrade, how good time will tell but we have an upgrade coming. It's a bit of a new direction, a bit into what we believe should be the right path into developing this car and making it a bit more of a drivable car, more consistent, better in the race that we know is our main weakness. You've seen it hasn't been an easy start to the season and we've been struggling but it is true that with this first step into this direction we try and correct the deficiencies we have but we also know that this upgrade is not going to change our life from one race to another. It's the first step of many steps to come still."