Sainz expects to be competitive in Monaco: 'But you have to remember the other teams'

Sainz's expectation in Monaco

"If you look at the past, then yes," the Spaniard begins. "The most recent example is Singapore, which I think was the last real street circuit in the city we went to [this is actually Las Vegas]. Last year we didn't perform very well in Monaco and I'm not sure why this was. I think one of our main focuses over the last few weeks was why Monaco was not our best weekend last year, when we expected to perform so well. Once we have understood that, we can put together a better package for this year."

Fernando Alonso stated that Monaco is one of those circuits that Ferrari is extremely good at. Sainz agrees with his compatriot, although he does have a small comment: "We all forget that Red Bull won at Monaco last year. Aston was almost on pole with Fernando. And McLaren, even though they might not have been very competitive, they still performed pretty well. I think even if you look at Singapore last year, McLaren did very well. I think this year it will be down to the drivers, to our teams with the right set-ups, to the tyres, the out-lap and a good lap."

So Sainz thinks the field will be very competitive in Monaco. Recent years have shown many times that the Monte Carlo race cannot be compared to other races. It is a very different type of track from, say, a purpose-built circuit like Spa-Francorchamps or Zandvoort.

Sainz: 'Miracles don't exist in F1'

Still, the Spaniard does not think miracles are going to happen in Monaco: "I still think the fastest combination of car and driver will be on pole in Q3. There are no miracles in Formula 1. It's also not like you can hang on in FP1, Q1 or Q2. You have to build up."

This article was written in collaboration with Ben Stevens.