After signing a renewal for two more years with the Ferrari team, Carlos Sainz was preparing to face the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with greater motivation. The retirement in the last race in Australia raised doubts about his performance, even more so seeing the exhibition of his teammate, Charles Leclerc, who won the first Grand Chelem of his career.
Already in Imola, the driver from Madrid learned that his weekend began in a way that very few want, changing the engine of his F1-75. The reason that the Maranello team has indicated is that it is a precautionary measure due to the impact it suffered in its accident in Melbourne and, seeing that it was a grand prix with the sprint format, they did not want to take risks.
This was stated by Ferrari in a statement provided to the press: “Carlos’s engine has been changed as a precaution after the impact in Australia, and we do not want to take any risks in the weekend with the sprint format.”
In this way, Sainz will debut a new power unit for the appointment in Imola, a place where the engine is not as important as it could be in Saudi Arabia or on the modified Albert Park track. However, the long main straight could be key, since it is the only clear overtaking point, and added to the fact that there is only one DRS zone, it could condition the entire test.
The change in the Spaniard’s engine could be a setback for the weekend, although from the Maranello team they hope that this decision is the right one and they can offer their driver the option of climbing to a new podium, which would be the seventh dressed in red and the first at Ferrari’s house.
