Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz feels that on the current Formula 1 grid there are at east “seven or eight” drivers which have the skills and talent to successfully challenge for the Formula 1 world championship.
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen was able to put an end to Lewis Hamilton’s run of four consecutive World Championship wins this season, after a dramatic battle in the final race of the 2021 season, as the Dutch driver passed his Mercedes rival on the final lap at Yas Marina circuit to secure his first title.
Many felt Max Verstappen was good enough to win a title before the start of the championship and he proved that was indeed the case in his first year with a car capable of fighting Mercedes. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz admitted that he was not surprised by his former team-mate and feels there are seven or eight drivers on the grid in total that could become World Champion if they had a strong car.
“It’s not strange to me because you could see it coming from the first races, Max had those options,” the Ferrari driver told as.com – “I firmly believe there are seven or eight world champions on the grid right now. Whoever gets the car will be the champion. Although what Max has done has been special, the level at which he and Hamilton have competed is spectacular. I don’t know if it’s an exact number but there are many drivers with the potential.” – he explained.
More of that group than just Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen could have the opportunity to race such a car in the 2022 Formula 1 season, taking into consideration the new regulations coming into play that give every team a huge chance to climb the pecking order.
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With the progress Ferrari has made this season, the resources they have and the fact Red Bull and Mercedes focused less on their 2022 cars last year than Ferrari, the Maranello team are widely fancied to come back strong in 2022 and be able to at least fight for race wins, if not the world titles. While Carlos Sainz is confident that will be the case though, he does not think the two front-runners will let their guard down.
“I want to think so, but my head tells me these teams are so good they are capable of doing both at the same time and they will be at the top, for sure’ – he added.
He does, however, feel there is a chance more teams will challenge them at the front. Either that, or one will be dominant.
“I imagine two extremes. A team that nails it, suddenly, and wins with a serious advantage. Or the other extreme, which is a completely even season, and that is what I want. This year we saw the drivers making a difference. There were four cars capable of fighting for the World Championship and it is the drivers who decided the rest.” – Carlos Sainz concluded.
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