The frustration at Ferrari is visible for all to see, with Charles Leclerc having suffered two DNFs in three races and Carlos Sainz being stripped of his fourth place finish in Australia.
The struggle on track has cost Ferrari valuable points at the start of the 2023 season, as the team finds itself around 100 points behind reigning world champions Red Bull.
Addressing the team’s fans, Sainz has urged them to back the team during this challenging time, rather than adding to the criticism that’s filling the media.
“You have to realise that nobody is more upset or angry or unhappy about the situation than every single [team member] here,” Sainz told Motorsport.com.
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“We’re the ones who aren’t happy.
“We’re the first to not like the situation. And we’re the ones who are going full throttle to turn [the situation] around because it’s also about our egos, our performance.
“We’re proud to be Ferrari and we want to take Ferrari forward. And sometimes the comments [in the media] are more of a distraction and drag us down rather than helping us.
“[Excessive criticism] doesn’t help. And that lack of help isn’t exactly what we need right now.
“That’s why we try to stay away from such comments. We don’t need any additional distractions or other people who drag us down,” the Spaniard added.
Ferrari are focused on their development programme during the extended April break, with plans to introduce a slate of upgrades at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in their home nation of Italy.
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However, team principal Frederic Vasseur has warned against people getting two optimistic, as other teams will bring forth their own development programmes.
“We have made some changes in terms of set-up and the situation in Melbourne has improved, so we will continue in that direction,” he explained.
“You will not see a ‘B’ version car, to answer the question, something completely different will not come. We will continue to update and we will do it massively.”