"We have no clue" - Ferrari driver questions hype around team, despite reliability display in testing

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz downplayed the team’s performance in the Barcelona test, suggesting it was too early to determine a pecking order for the F1 grid. The Spaniard believes that although they were satisfied with the reliability and mileage, there is no data from other teams to be able to analyze them in comparison.

Countering Mercedes driver George Russell’s claims, Sainz said:

“Why do you believe we are in great shape? It is very early days and I can’t imagine why you guys are starting to make conclusions and maybe try to put together a bit of a pecking order. For us, we have no clue. And I think no one has a clue on which fuel loads, which engine modes everyone is running. So we can not confirm or deny that we are happy or sad because we really don’t know where we are.”

The Mercedes driver claimed that Ferrari and McLaren were extremely competitive in the Barcelona pre-season test. The Spaniard, however, believes it is too early to draw any conclusions over their test performance. The Ferrari driver said the team was clueless as to where they stood against other teams. He reasoned it to different teams being on different test programs based on fuel loads, engine modes, and other technical parameters for measuring performance.

Shedding light on when a pecking order can be determined, Sainz said:

“I think in Bahrain [the second test that runs from March 10-12] maybe it will start to be a bit easier to guess where everyone is.”

Expecting more realistic comparisons with other teams in the pre-season test in Bahrain, Sainz believes the second test will be more of a teller of F1’s pecking order. The next test is scheduled to be a triple-header with the Bahrain and Saudi races in the consecutive weeks after. Most teams will therefore be bringing their real race-spec versions of the cars to the second test.

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Carlos Sainz admits reliability of Ferrari car has been very satisfactory

The Prancing Horse pilot revealed that the reliability of Ferrari’s 2022 F1 challenger, the F1-75, was impressive. Sainz revealed that the team needs to focus on tackling the porpoising issues with their car, which needs an immediate solution.

Reviewing the Barcelona test, the Ferrari driver said:

“From the reliability side, as a team we are quite happy and proud of where we are with the mileage that we completed. Obviously, now it’s time to work not only on the mileage but also to improve the porpoising and if the car is reliable with it which obviously is hard to do.”

Sainz was one of the busiest drivers of the Barcelona test. He completed 236 laps, the highest mileage racked up by any driver, over the course of the three-day test.