The Spaniard found out the hard way about Ferrari’s difficulties with race pace at his home grand prix a fortnight ago when he qualified on the front row but then slumped to fifth by the chequered flag – more than 45 seconds adrift of race-winner Max Verstappen.
Ferrari has struggled all season with its SF-23 showing decent pace in single-lap conditions in qualifying but then lacking consistency in the races.
And while this mostly manifests itself in difficulties with tyre management, Sainz has suggested that the truth of the problem is much wider than that.
“I think we keep talking a lot about tyres and degradation, but I think there's also a bit more of a fundamental problem with the race pace,” he said ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
“I think honestly my analysis, or the team analysis, is that we just lack race pace at the moment, and we need to make a car that is kinder on tyres but also more consistent with the aero.
“That would allow us to stay a bit more on the limit of the car during the whole race. At the moment it just feels like we are having to back off a bit.”
Source: Autosport