Ferrari arrives in Japan on the heels of Australian success. The
Suzuka circuit
, the fourth stage of the 2024 World Championship, promises to be a more challenging test for the team and the new SF-24, with Leclerc and Saintz expressing themselves positively in view of this Sunday's race.
Leclerc: "Red Bull will be competitive but we are ready to fight"
"On a track like this I expect Red Bull to be very competitive, especially because in Australia the front tires suffered from graining, which we don't expect to happen here. For our part, it will be essential to stay focused in order to be ready to fight and make the most of any opportunity that comes our way." This is how
Charles Leclerc
envisages what could happen in the Japanese GP.
"They did an excellent job in Maranello because the SF-24 is a clear step forward compared to last year's car - declared the Monegasque -. In the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as a team, we achieved the best possible result and In Australia we made the most of our opponents' knockout. I haven't won yet and that's still my immediate short-term goal, but I think we've maximized our potential."
Sainz: 'Now I have to accelerate to sort out my future'
Carlos Sainz
believes now is the time to "accelerate" on the negotiations front and sort out his future "sooner rather than later" as he continues to evaluate his options for 2025, when he leaves Ferrari.
"I'm obviously talking to someone and I will continue to do so until I have a steering wheel for next year - continued Sainz -. Now it's time to accelerate and we hope to be able to resolve the issue as soon as possible but at the moment I have no news" .
Looking to the next race, the Spaniard predicts that the Japanese one "will be a challenging track for us compared to Australia. Last year here we lost seven or eight tenths compared to the Red Bulls, but now it's time to see if this year we are closer, enjoying this fantastic track more, one of my favourites". After the appendicitis operation, Sainz is getting back into full shape: "This week I went cycling, I stayed in Australia for a week and I started going to the gym - he explained -. I still can't lift heavy numbers like I did in the past, but at least I can complete my training and feel 100% again."
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