Sainz and Leclerc learn their lesson: 'Together vs Verstappen and Norris'

After qualifying, Sainz was asked a question by a journalist stating that the Ferrari team lost a lot of valuable time by fighting with each other. "First of all, I don't agree with your comment," Sainz said firmly. "I think it is a sprint and I think everyone is racing hard from the beginning to the end."

Sainz and Leclerc will join forces

Sainz says that he will have a different aproach to the Grand Prix. "Obviously, yes, the main race is a much longer race where I think everyone tends to play a bit longer game with tyre management and everything. And everyone applies all the lessons learned from the Sprint. So everyone knows how to manage the tires better, where to manage them, et cetera."

The Ferrari driver also believes it will be hard to imagine what will happen during the Grand Prix, and many things can change already by the first corner. "It becomes a matter of putting ourselves in a position where we can try to win again. And again, like everywhere, a lot is determined by the start, the first lap, and you never know where you are going to finish. So you can't go into a race with a super clear plan in your head. Usually, after one corner, that plan changes completely because of that start or that Turn 1. So let's see."

Even as they had a hard-fought battle during the Sprint, Sainz has underlined he will cooperate with Leclerc on Sunday. "I'm confident that if we do a good job together, for sure we can fight with these two guys, whether we can beat them starting behind them, that's another thing. It's never easy to overtake in Formula 1 and never easy to, especially the McLaren and Red Bull," Sainz concluded.

This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi

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