Sainz: 'Must continue to try to understand how the tyres behave'

Carlos Sainz started promisingly in Australia. The Spaniard finished the first free practice at the top of the timesheet, but had to acknowledge his superiority in FP2 to Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.

According to Sainz, it took some getting used to in Australia in particular. The circuit completely changed last year and the last time Sainz raced here was in 2019 with a McLaren. "It has been an interesting Friday as we had to deal with a lot of new things compared to the last time that we raced here," Sainz opens in a press release from Ferrari.

The Spaniard explains that the track does not feel at all like he was used to from previous years. The modifications to the corners have made it a lot faster and the new layer of asphalt provides different grip levels.

"We need to keep working on understanding how the tyres behave but, in general, I think we have a good baseline to start preparing for tomorrow’s qualifying," concludes Sainz.

The fact that Sainz finished the first free practice session at the top of the grid is extraordinary. Indeed, the Spaniard is the first driver since Nico Rosberg in 2015 to beat Hamilton on a Friday in Melbourne.