Carlos Sainz seeking 'animal instinct' return after seismic F1 shift

Carlos Sainz is seeking a return to the "animal instinct" of F1 qualifying laps after drivers can "upset the system" with the new rules.

Owing to the need to harvest energy, qualifying laps are no longer truly flat-out with drivers super-clipping at the end of straights to ensure they have enough battery power for the following straight.

This is one area set to be featured in talks between the FIA, F1, and the teams during the April break, with energy deployment currently being served by onboard computers fine-tuned to the theoretical best.

However, if a driver has a snap of oversteer, for example, this can confuse the system, as happened to Charles Leclerc in qualifying.

This need to drive within their capabilities is a fine tightrope, with Sainz describing the "animal instinct" urge at key moments.

"My engineers and I have done a very good job over the winter to understand it, and we're doing a very good job of understanding and driving it," Sainz told media, including RacingNews365. 

"I think I'm 90-95% close to understanding everything, but there are definitely surprises which come now and then, but I feel like I've not been surprised by it, given how new it is.

"It is more about how disciplined you want to be with your driving, so it is how your natural instinct, or animal instinct, kicks in on a Q2 or Q3 lap, and you go and push flat out, but [you need to factor in] how much it is going to upset the system. 

"The system is then going to acquire a new understanding which goes against our natural instinct, and that's why you see us gutted after qualifying, because you always feel like you could have done better.

"You always feel like you can be more efficient when you're driving, but the reality is that on my side, I understand how disciplined I want to be."