Sainz wants 'easier' Ferrari after 2023 'headaches'

Carlos Sainz said he wants the 2024 Ferrari Formula 1 car to be "easier" to setup after issues with its predecessor.

The SF-23 proved to be a difficult car to get into the right setup window for both Sainz and Charles Leclerc, with their qualifying pace often not translating in the race.

As a result they would suffer from high tyre degradation, leading to one of the worst starts to a season since 2009 having only scored 26 points after three races. By contrast the 2009 season saw them score just 12 points in the same period.

Their problems with tyre degradation hit its peak during the Miami Grand Prix, when they Sainz finished seventh place after starting inside the top three and Leclerc only fifth after starting from seventh.

“There has been talk that [the 2023 car] is a car that suits me, that I like,” he told As

“Honestly, it has given me headaches not only myself but also to my team mate and to Ferrari.

The Spaniard felt that the difficulty driving the SF-23 made it tough to exploit his true potential, despite being the only driver to unseat Red Bull's run of victories at the Singapore Grand Prix.

“It’s very difficult to understand. I’ve not enjoyed driving it – I’ve had to adapt in many aspects and try out various setup configurations," Sainz added.

"I hope that in 2024, it becomes more versatile and easier to handle and set up. Let’s hope for a better racing car.”

Team Principal Frederic Vassuer has made it clear that the 2024 Ferrari challenger will be 95% different, after the team identified their problems through learning from the SF-23.

RacingNews365 technical analyst Paolo Filisetti has detailed the specific changes will be made off the back of last year's learnings.