Carlos Sainz said his Belgian Grand Prix performance was “harder than expected” after having to face a strong Red Bull team in the battle for the lead.
Sainz started Sunday’s race from pole position but crossed the line third. The Ferrari driver had to face the strong Red Bull pair of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen in the battle for the lead. Speaking after the event, the Spaniard said the race was harder than he expected.
“Unfortunately, it was harder than expected,” he said. “We did a good start and restart but the pace wasn’t there. A lot of overheating on the tires.
“The package wasn’t there this weekend but we finished on the podium, so we’ll take it.”
Speaking about Red Bull’s performance, Sainz said the team was “on their own” in terms of pace.
“Red Bull were on their own today,” he admitted. “We have to learn why at this track we weren’t competitive. Zandvoort should be a better track for us.”
