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Carlos Sainz's famous father has joined his son in putting the brakes on claims Toro Rosso could be ready to race to the podium in 2016. It was the Red Bull-owned junior team's boss Franz Tost who set the podium target recently, but 21-year-old Sainz jr warned that "Under normal circumstances, I don't think it's possible".
His father, the famous rally driver Carlos Sainz snr, told Spain's AS sports newspaper that he agrees. "Definitely. In formula one, testing is testing and everyone is trying to save their weapons until the first race," said the 53-year-old. "What seems clear at least is that the car is more reliable than last year, but then the things I have heard about podiums I find too exaggerated."
As for his highly-rated son, however, who has been training with Spanish triathlete Mario Mola, Sainz said: "I see him much more mature, more focused, knowing what he wants and I think it will be a good season."
Sainz snr also joined the ranks of those who are hoping Mercedes' recent domination of F1 is challenged in 2016. "The hope is that Ferrari has caught up, because if the races continue to be all about Mercedes, it becomes tiring," he said. (GMM)
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Replies (2)
Login to replyCloxxki
Posts: 13
Well, his teammate got 4th twice, and neither of those were totally stolen.
If the swap to Ferrari power is to be a sold as a step forward, podiums NEED to be the goal and expectation. Especially if there is now reliability (more chances to make it to the finish) and again a good car. Plus, the drivers are not rookies anymore, we should expect them to get more out of the same package.
Even if the new power unit is worth 2 tenths of a second per lap and no other gains relative to the competition are made, that's roughly 10-15 seconds over a race. Look back in the results and see how the Toro Rosso boys would move up.
Spa is a good example. Max started dead last, and Carlos got to be a lap down due to mechanical problems. Max followed Raikkonen and Kvyat around all race. A slightly imperfect timing of his last stop made him lose grounbd on Kvyat, who ended up overtaking quite a few cars on his last stint. Give Max those extra horses in that race, and the move on Raikkonen would have come a lap sooner, or in the worst car it would qould have stuck with far greater ease. Kvyat showed that Massa was a sitting duck, hard to imagine him holding off Max with more power.
And really, without the reliability problems mostly on the power unit side, it's hard to imagine Max needing to even come from all the way back in Spa. Why would an STR-Ferrari not have fought the Lotus-Mercedes that day? Podiums can happen, easily, if you've done the hard part and get a few tenth closer to the front.
A slightly better package could bring the STR drivers in sight of a podium in many races. Overtaking will be easier. Less spectacular. It won't take a whole stint to set up for a move.
It's really negative on the part of Sr. I think. After their team got 2 fourths and showed great racing and ovvertaking ability even with the much slower Renault on their rookie season. OK, his son wasn't getting all the awes in that campaign because it wasn't him doing the overtaking and scoring the fourths, but for the STR team as a whole, podiums ARE within reach if they really made a bit of progress.
Everyone and their sister are expecting STR to be ahead of RBR the first half of the season. How can that NOT be within reach of podiums? Why would RBR have less progress in the 3rd year of the turbo regulations, after a year of being behind on power?
When grip was low, STR was up there battling Ferrari. When the power could be put down, not so much. This year the power difference will be much smaller. They'll be much closer. Not only putting the podium positions under additional pressure, but getting way more opportunities to take advantage of little errors there.
khasmir
Posts: 893
Under normal conditions, no, I don't think so. But you never know, when the conditions are not so normal...