Carlos Sainz Lauds New 18 Inch Tyres After Pre-Season Testing in Barcelona

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz believes that the new Pirelli tyres will help drivers push harder in comparison to the previous generation cars. Pirelli switched from 13′ to 18′ inch tyres after the end of the 2021 F1 season. However, the new Pirellis are designed to reduce overheating while increasing its life during a Grand Prix.

The Italian team completed 439 laps over three days in Barcelona, where Sainz had a 1:20.072 on Day 3. The Spaniard admitted that the new tyres were a good improvement from its predecessor. The team will undergo another round of testing, a week before the opening race in Bahrain.

He said, “I did quite a bit of testing last year, I think I did three or four days in total with the compounds. And they look like they are suiting well this new generation of cars, and they look to be at least allowing you to push a bit more on them.”

“Compared to other years, maybe a bit less overheating, a bit less deg, but there’s still deg, they’re still a tyre that degrades, but the scale of it for me personally, I feel like it’s a bit better. The work done by Pirelli last year and the development seems to start to pay off a bit,” added the 27-year old.

The new F1-75 for the Scuderia has already been dubbed as a ‘threat’ by Mercedes and Red Bull. The drivers will be looking to earn a race win for the first time since 2019, a lengthy drought for the 16-time Constructors’ Champions.

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2022: A Crucial Season for Carlos Sainz?

Sainz goes into the new season-high on confidence after a splendid end to his 2021 campaign. The former McLaren driver secured 4 podiums in his debut season, including P3 at the last race in Abu Dhabi.

He finished the season with 164.5 points, his highest tally in his F1 career, outperforming teammate Charles Leclerc by a slender margin. However, this season Ferrari will pose a serious threat to Mercedes and Red Bull after major upgrades in 2022.

As the season nears close, the expectation from the ‘Prancing Horse’ and Sainz will be high throughout the season.

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