Sainz’s father says 2024 Ferrari ’must be better’

Ferrari’s 2024 car "must be better", Carlos Sainz’s famous father insists.

Carlos Sainz senior, 61, is currently on course to win his fourth Dakar Rally, but comments he has made from the event might be interpreted as "criticism" of Ferrari, according to Italy’s Autosprint.

"What I appreciate about Carlos is that he always keeps improving," Sainz snr told the publication.

"He is still young, but he already has a lot of experience behind him. I think it’s his best moment even for his age," said Sainz, whose son is 29.

"There are drivers who stop growing at a certain point, but he manages to progress every year," Sainz’s father continued.

Ferrari’s Sainz is currently pushing the fabled Maranello team to urgently extend his contract beyond 2024, but there are rumours boss Frederic Vasseur may want to keep his options open for now.

As for Sainz senior, he says Ferrari’s main responsibility is giving his son a better car this year that he had at his disposal in 2023.

"I have faith in the fact that Ferrari will be able to take the missing step," he declared. "The 2024 car must be better and we hope that leap forward will come."

Italian media sources report that Ferrari has at least hit its target of getting the 2024 car’s weight all the way down to the legal minimum of 798kg.