Sainz is eager to push flat out in Australia
Having set the benchmark on his second and last day of pre-season testing, Carlos Sainz insisted that he is eager to "push flat out" at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix with his new car, the FW47.
The former Ferrari driver set the pace on the second day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, with the Williams racer also recording the highest lap count of 127 after taking part in both of Thursday’s sessions.
"It was a very long day here in Bahrain, with us covering a lot of laps," started Sainz. "A few stoppages due to the rain and the wind were not ideal to get into the rhythm but overall, we managed to complete a good programme.
"Although timesheets are not fully representative in Pre-season Testing, we made some progress relative to yesterday, improving the balance and overall feeling of the car.
"However, it doesn’t feel like enough testing to be honest. Next thing for me is Australia and I wish I had more time to better understand the car and how it reacts to different set up changes. Having said that, I feel as ready as I can be and I can’t wait to push flat out already in race one," concluded the Spaniard.
Commenting on Williams' second day in Bahrain, the Grove-based outfit's chief engineer Dave Robson revealed that the team deliberately decided against completing a race run in order to experiment with a variety of setup options.
"Despite the unusual sight of rain falling in Bahrain, we were able to complete most of the intended programme without issue. The car ran reliably again, which is testament to its design and the efforts of all those involved in building it, including the team of mechanics here at the track that work through the nights to prepare the car and the test items.
"Carlos drove the full day today and was able to build on his experience from yesterday to explore more of what the FW47 can do. Rather than complete a race simulation, we chose a higher fuel level to complete running, which gave us a chance to experiment with setup and tyre management.
"The car was working reasonably well today but we know that there will be significant differences between our run plan and that of our competitors. We are well aware that the final timesheet is not representative of how qualifying will play out in Melbourne.
"Alex will take over tomorrow and can build on a very solid platform that Carlos and his team have evolved today. We expect it to be dry and warmer tomorrow but with some challenging wind gusts, which will provide another set of conditions in which to test the FW47," Robson concluded.
