Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) Ferrari SF-23 and Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB19 in qualifying parc ferme. Formula 1 World Championship, Italian Grand Prix, Rd 15, Saturday 2nd September 2023. Monza Italy.
Carlos Sainz quipped that he will try and make Max Verstappen’s life “as difficult as possible” as he bids for victory at Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix.
Sainz sent Monza’s fans into raptures on Saturday by beating runaway points leader Verstappen to pole position by just 0.013s.
Red Bull has been unbeaten in races so far in 2023 while Verstappen is aiming for a record-breaking tenth successive victory in Sunday’s grand prix.
Verstappen will start alongside Sainz on the front row of the grid, with their respective team-mates Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez third and fifth, split by Mercedes’ George Russell.
“We’ve got the motivation and the energy to do it, the car has been very good all weekend, especially over one lap,” said Sainz.
“What we have seen from the long runs, I’m not going to lie, it’s trickier and not the same picture as qualifying.
“Red Bull, as soon as you put five or six laps on the tyre and everything starts to degrade a bit, that’s where their strength is, and the race pace we have seen all year.
“But hopefully I can get a better start and then made Max’s and Checo’s and Charles’ life as difficult as possible. But I think we are willing to work through it as a team and give it our best shot.
“It’s a good opportunity tomorrow, realistically the Red Bull should be quicker, but we are just going to try to make their life as complicated as possible and try to take the win.”
Sainz expanded on his and Ferrari’s prospects, believing that a win “can happen, nothing is impossible tomorrow.
“At the start I am going to do everything I can to stay ahead of Max and I think that looking back at this year, 100 percent of races they have been quicker, and clearly quicker, so that makes me feel like it is not going to be easy at all.
“They are going to try to find a way past one way or another, but if something could happen we would have a very good day tomorrow and get the win. So I’m just going to try and go into tomorrow with the mindset to win the race and then adapt to the circumstances and race pace of Verstappen.”
Keyword: Sainz will ‘make Verstappen’s life as difficult as possible’