Carlos Sainz Jnr admitted the Baku Metropolis Circuit is considered one of his weakest tracks after his workforce mate beat him to pole place on the circuit for the fourth 12 months in a row.
Charles Leclerc was three-tenths of a second forward of everybody in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Sainz will begin third, the pair break up by Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.
Sainz mentioned he was starting to seek out extra from his automobile because the qualifying session went on. “I managed to seek out a few issues in Q3 that gave me a bit extra tempo than what I used to be exhibiting in Q1 and Q2,” he mentioned. “In all probability discovered it a bit too late.
“By the point I discovered them, I want I might have had extra laps earlier than to get used to driving the automobile a bit like that. I felt like I used to be extra aggressive.”
However he admitted Leclerc is often robust in Baku. “It’s all the time been a observe that I wrestle lots at. It’s one of the best observe for Charles and one of many worst ones for me.
“I’m glad to be P3 and have a superb place going into tomorrow, though it’s one thing that I maintain engaged on round right here as a result of from FP1 I all the time are likely to lack a little bit of rhythm and I have to construct it up.”
Though Sainz was reluctant to clarify the place he discovered his enchancment in qualifying, “as a result of I might be revealing a bit an excessive amount of” he described it as “little issues that you are able to do in quali to get the automobile to cease a bit higher within the lengthy braking zones.”
Advert | Grow to be a RaceFans supporter and
“That provides you a bit extra confidence to brake these three to 5 metres later that round right here is prime,” he defined. “It’s fascinating as a result of I usually really feel very snug in metropolis tracks like Singapore or Monaco. However Baku has by no means been, in my 10 years in Components 1, a kind of.
“Yearly I come again right here attempting to enhance myself, looking for extra of an edge in my driving, but it surely simply doesn’t come very pure to me.”
“It’s all about braking right here in Baku and having the boldness to cease the automobile as late as doable, trusting that the automobile then goes to show in into the nook,” Sainz added. “That’s the place he excels round right here and the place he’s significantly snug from the start of FP1.
“From my aspect, I don’t know why I don’t have precisely that very same feeling that I’ve in Singapore, perhaps on the upper downforce, or in Monaco with increased downforce, but it surely’s what it’s. I nonetheless suppose I made some good progress. I’m going into tomorrow into the highest three. So, yeah, I nonetheless suppose we’re within the combine.”
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a each day e-mail with all our newest tales – and nothing else. No advertising and marketing, no advertisements. Enroll right here:
Advert | Grow to be a RaceFans supporter and
