After losing second place to Max Verstappen at the start of the Miami GP, the Spaniard settled into third place but saw the leaders slip away from him.
While from the outside it looked like he might have had problems with the balance of the hard tyre, Carlos Sainz has revealed that the main factor in his case was actually his physical condition.
After having received a blow in his severe accident in Friday free practice in Miami, he also arrived in the United States with a lack of filming for a race, having abandoned early in both Melbourne and Imola.
At the Australian GP he retired on lap two after a spin, while at Imola he didn’t even complete a lap after being hit from behind by Daniel Ricciardo at the first chicane and getting stuck in the gravel.
Those two consecutive retirements left Sainz with low mileage and thus had not completed a full race since the Saudi Arabian GP.
“There were no problems with balance,” he said when asked to explain his status in the Miami race.
“Obviously the balance was tricky because we couldn’t keep up with Max and Red Bull. But for me, it was more like I didn’t feel 100% already from the end of the first stint.”
“In the last five laps of that run, I started to feel a bit tired in the neck and I couldn’t push 100% because of the hit on Friday.
“I won’t use it as an excuse, but maybe I also lacked in the last two races to get my neck and body used to these F1 cars.
“Obviously I didn’t do a full race for a month and probably that, combined with the accident on Friday, meant that I couldn’t push 100% until the Safety Car or so.
But although he felt he couldn’t give it his all in the race, the Ferrari driver admitted it was important for him to finally get to the checkered flag after recent problems.
“It’s not so much of a relief, but it was necessary,” he admitted. “I think I needed to complete a race distance, get back in shape and also feel the car with used tires and plenty of fuel.
“I made a couple of mistakes during the race because I was testing the car and testing myself.
“The important thing is that we did a complete race. In some moments of the race I was quite fast and also in the battles, the feeling with the car in the dispute with Checo [Sergio Pérez] was very useful, you know what to do with the battery and with the tires.
“I think it gave me a good understanding of what to do in the future.”
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 3rd position, reaches the podium with the Pirelli NFL helmet
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Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Podium: winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, third place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Podium: 2nd place Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 3rd place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Podium: 2nd place Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 3rd place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Podium: 2nd place Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 3rd place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Podium: 2nd place Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 3rd place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Podium: 2nd place Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 3rd place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Podium: 2nd place Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 3rd place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Podium: second place Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, third place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Podium: second place Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, third place Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Carlos SainzFerrari
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Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Carlos SainzFerrari
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Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Ferrari
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75
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Photo by: Ferrari
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, John Elkann, president of FIAT Chrysler Automobiles
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Photo de: Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, second, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, first and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third
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Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Podium: second Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, third Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
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Photo by: Ferrari
Carlos SainzFerrari F1-75
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75, Sergio Pérez, Red Bull Racing RB18
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Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75, Sergio Pérez, Red Bull Racing RB18, Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C42
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Photo by: Sam Bloxham/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, celebrates on the podium in Miami
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium
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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium
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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium with his trophy
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium wearing a Pirelli-sponsored football player helmet
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium receiving his trophy
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium receiving his trophy
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium receiving his trophy and with Dan Marino
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz celebrate the double podium of Ferrari in Miami
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz celebrate the double podium of Ferrari in Miami
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, with NFL legend Dan Marino and FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem on the podium
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75, Sergio Pérez, Red Bull Racing RB18
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Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, celebrate second and third place in Miami
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, celebrate second and third place in Miami
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, celebrate second and third place in Miami
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18, Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C42, and the rest of the grid at the start
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Photo by: Steve Etherington/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18, Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C42, and the rest of the grid at the start
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Photo by: Steve Etherington/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, second, Red Bull delegate Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, winner and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, second, Red Bull delegate Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, winner and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, second, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, winner and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, second, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, winner and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, second, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, winner and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium wearing football helmets
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, second, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, winner, Red Bull delegate and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, third, on the podium
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Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75
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Foto de: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, celebrate on the podium
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Racing delegate Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, celebrate on the podium in Miami
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Racing delegate Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, and Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, celebrate on the podium in Miami
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18
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Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 3rd position, celebrates on the podium with champagne
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Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
The streamers cover Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, Red Bull team member Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2nd position, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 3rd position, on the podium
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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2nd position, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 3rd position, on the podium
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