After failing to finish the last two races, Carlos Sainz returned to the podium by crossing the line third at the 2022 Miami GP, but admitted he was surprised by Red Bull‘s pace around the Miami International Autodrome.
The Spaniard fended off a late charge from Red Bull‘s Sergio Perez to do so, and while he admits momentum is currently with the Milton Keynes outfit, he’s hoping that will change when F1 visits his home race in two weeks.
“Maybe we’ve taken a step back in terms of pace,” Sainz told DAZN Formula 1. “The Red Bulls were very fast and stronger than we expected on this circuit, but I held off Checo and finished third.
“Now it’s off to Barcelona. We’ll bring upgrades to see if that’s enough to stop them.”
Sainz started second on the grid in Miami, but he could do little to stop Verstappen from passing him into Turn 1.
Keen to avoid a third consecutive DNF, the Spaniard said his focus was on ensuring he crossed the finish line rather than defending his position.
“It was clear that starting on the dirty side was going to be complicated,” Sainz added.
“Max got off the line well and I was close to holding on to second, but the goal was to finish the race.”
