French GP: Carlos Sainz warns overtaking could be difficult at Paul Ricard

Carlos Sainz has suggested that overtaking could be difficult at the French Grand Prix, with the Spaniard set to start at the rear of the field.

The Ferrari driver has taken a host of new power unit components – taking him over the FIA-allowed limit – and that has triggered a number of grid-place penalties, which amount to him now starting from the rear of the field here in Paul Ricard.

Indeed, it’s a further blow to him and his hopes of reigniting a title challenge and it all stems from that fiery blowout he had during the Austrian Grand Prix last time out.

Sainz was fast on Friday, topping FP2, at Paul Ricard and that will give him a boost in trying to move through the field on Sunday but he revealed that overtaking might actually be difficult during the race after seeing what the slipstream and DRS effect were like during practice:

“I tried a couple of moments with other cars to overtake, because I know I’m going to need to overtake a lot.

“And I must say that it was a bit trickier than expected mainly because there’s a tailwind on the back straight and, with this tailwind, it looks like the slipstream and DRS effect is a bit low.

“But I don’t have any other choice, I need to find ways to overtake and the best medicine for that is to just be a bit quicker come Sunday than what we are.”

Of course, if the wind changes that should help Sainz’s cause and he’ll be hoping for a little favour from the elements, though he can certainly rule out rain with the weekend providing nothing but warm sunshine in the south of France.

He’s got arguably the quickest car on the grid in the Ferrari at the moment, too, and that will obviously give him some opportunity to limit the damage caused by those penalties.