Carlos Sainz Jr wants answers on Toro Rosso's first-stint problems
Carlos Sainz Jr has called on Toro Rosso to finally understand why his car fails to perform at the start of a Formula 1 race, when laden with a full tank of fuel
The STR10 has recently looked strong through practice, to the extent that Sainz's team-mate Max Verstappen suggested only Mercedes showed stronger long-run pace .
For the most part that form has continued into qualifying, but come the early stages of a grand prix the package has been found wanting.
Sainz has confirmed the car's handling characteristics are very different at the start with 100kg of fuel on board compared to when it is even at least 20kg lighter.
"Our first [race] stint is still our weakness. This is what we need to look into and improve," said Sainz.
"I don't know why. It's a shame because as soon as you're done with high fuel, you put on another tyre and you have 70 to 80 kilograms of fuel, suddenly the car starts behaving normally and we have very decent pace.
"We tested some things during the in-season tests in Barcelona and in Austria, but we still don't know exactly why this is.
"The only bit we struggle with is the first stint. FP1, FP2, FP3 and qualifying, we are always strong.
"But with tyres that haven't been warmed up correctly because the warm-up lap isn't ideal, our car looks to be out of the window and we don't know how to get it back."
Sainz has confirmed it is a personal feeling with the car, adding: "It's about how comfortable I am with the car.
"I know in qualifying I can do whatever I want, turning the car wherever I want because I have the rear support, I have the confidence.
"But with 100 kilograms I don't know if I'm going to oversteer on entry, understeer on mid.
"It's a bit strange."
Lewis Hamilton: McLaren's Formula 1 problems hard to watch
Williams should have been more aggressive
Bathurst 12 Hour: Van Gisbergen Mercedes leads after first quarter
Shane van Gisbergen’s Triple Eight Mercedes headed Matt Campbell’s Manthey Porsche after three hours of racing at Mount Panorama in the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Tanak scores first Puma win in preparation for WRC Rally Sweden
Ott Tanak claimed his first victory driving an M-Sport Ford Puma after winning the Otepaa Winter Rally in preparation for next week’s World Rally Championship round in Sweden.
Ranking the worst Formula 1 cars to win a grand prix
Cars that rarely looked like contenders for victory have occasionally slipped through the net to become winners of world championship Formula 1 races. But which was the worst of the bunch?
Schumacher radio criticism highlighted F1 privacy change for Russell
George Russell says that the way an off-the-cuff radio remark criticising Mick Schumacher last year became a big deal shows how he is more under the spotlight in Formula 1.
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.