Carlos Sainz claimed Ferrari had to be "proud" of his P5 finish in the Dutch Grand Prix on a weekend when the team just didn't have the performance to compete for a podium finish - while Charles Leclerc was left to rue a weekend to forget that ended in a DNF.
The Monegasque driver had a rough weekend, spending more time off the track than on it on Saturday, and then didn't fare much better in the race, having to retire after receiving floor damage in the opening handful of laps.
As the rain started to pour heavily, Leclerc collided with the side of Oscar Piastri's McLaren as the two battled for position, resulting in a racing incident. He then slithered into the pit lane to switch to intermediate tyres, only to discover that no tyres were available.
“Coming into the last corner, I saw there was a lot of rain so decided to stop at the last minute. We lost a little bit of time at the pit stop but overall, it was a good operation for us because we gained more than what we lost. We just need to understand how we could have optimised a bit better, having the guys ready early on. This race was crazy,” Formula 1 quoted Leclerc as saying.
Leclerc should have been well-placed to scythe his way back through the field, with many of runners sticking with the slick tyres as the rain fell, but instead he found himself drifting backwards, with little pace. That was quickly linked to the damage he incurred in his encounter with Piastri.
“[It was] extremely difficult, we lost more than 60 points [of downforce] so it was almost a different category, so it was always going to be difficult after that,” said Leclerc, who eventually retired the car at the end of Lap 4.
Sainz at least saved the team's blushes with a solid drive to fifth at the finish, fending off Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes in the dying moments. However, on a day when he was passed by eventual podium finisher Pierre Gasly's Alpine, it was impossible to determine whether Ferrari should be pleased or dissatisfied with their performance.
“We have to be very pleased to be P5 and giving ourselves a chance to fight for a podium today but the reality is that the pace has never been there all weekend. The reality is once the race settled down, we were just fighting with cars that were much quicker than us. To finish in front of the Mercedes, the McLarens, this weekend they had a lot more pace than us – it’s a strong result," said Sainz.
“I think [this also] has to be frustrating for us because in a way this weekend, we were just very far off the pace and we need to understand why. But at the same time we have to be proud that on a weekend when the pace wasn’t there, we’ve managed to maximise our result. Mixed feelings for sure but I did suffer quite a bit out there today," he added.
Ferrari will enter their home race in Monza next weekend fourth in the constructors' title, 14 points behind Aston Martin, with Sainz currently ahead of his teammate in the standings courtesy to his Zandvoort haul.
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