Sainz beams over Ferrari test despite red flag delay

Carlos Sainz has delivered a positive verdict on Ferrari's final day of testing, despite losing time on track due to a red flag delay.

Running was stopped for a second day in a row following trouble with drain covers at the Bahrain International Circuit, eating into Sainz's morning time in the car.

But the Spaniard still completed 71 laps, with his time from the second day remaining unbeaten by his rivals.

"Overall, it has been a good day, despite the red flag that disrupted the running a bit," said Sainz.

"I enjoyed every single lap in the car. We tested a lot of different configurations to collect as much data as possible.

"The car seems to be in a decent place and I’m proud of the work that the team has done to complete such a solid test programme."

Ferrari made rapid ground on Mercedes at the end of last season and will begin the new campaign with an evolution of the final iteration of last year's machinery.

The Silver Arrows have made huge changes to its car, however, giving Ferrari a chance to be Red Bull's nearest challengers when the new season starts in Bahrain next week.

"The car is reacting the way that we wanted it to, but it is still difficult to assess its level of competitiveness right now," said Charles Leclerc.

"The feeling is better than the base we started from last year. Now, it’s full focus on the race and I can’t wait to be back on track next week."