Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz is very well aware of what is needed in order to secure that elusive first Formula 1 race victory – and it is just about putting it into practice.
Carlos Sainz has 147 race starts in Formula 1 but has not be able to finish on top of the podium, despite coming close on several occasions, even in the last round of the 2022 Formula One season, the Monaco Grand Prix: Carlos finished second behind Sergio Perez, but would have had a great chance to win the race had it not been for Nicholas Latifi holding him up for almost a lap at a key stage of the Monte Carlo event.
147 F1 races without a single win is currently putting Carlos joint sixth on the all-time list for that unwanted stat.
Four second-place finishes since September 2020 show how close Carlos Sainz is taking his first Formula 1 win. At the same time, the Ferrari driver has been on the podium in five of the last eight F1 events.
However, his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc has clearly been more comfortable behind the wheel of the F1-75 car and was able to secure two race wins which allow him to challenge Max Verstappen in the fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world title. Last season, the Spanish driver proved he is able to match his Ferrari teammate, even finishing ahead of Charles in the 2021 final standings, despite being his first year with the Italian side. Now, Carlos Sainz is anything but downhearted having improved throughout 2021 – and he is confident things will get better as the season progresses:
“I just need to be a bit quicker,” Carlos Sainz explaied, in a recent interview for Formula 1’s official website. “I need one or two tenths, in terms of qualifying and race pace. If I find those one or two tenths, that I found in the second half of last year with last year’s car, the earlier I find them the earlier the win will come. I’ve been working hard to find them.” – he added.
Carlos Sainz admitted that this year’s car does not suit his smooth style of driving as much as Charles Leclerc’s edgier approach behind the wheel:
“You can see from the cameras and everywhere that I’m not there yet with the car compared to last year, that I’m not driving naturally. The car is a bit too pointy for my liking but that’s it, that’s the way it goes. You can either adapt yourself or bring the car a bit more to your liking. Anyway, these two things, they take time and they take knowledge and experience. It takes mistakes and trial and error, and this is what I’m in the process [of doing] now and what I will try to correct as soon as possible.” – he explained.
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2022 is also the first season in which Carlos Sainz is driving a challenger which has the potential to fight for race wins and the Formula 1 titles:
“I’m enjoying it, it’s a whole new experience – you need to drive a bit differently,” he said – “It’s a different scenario I’m getting used to. I’m racing against two or three guys who have been at the front before. For me, it’s the first time, my first seven races having a competitive car – and I’ve learned a lot that I will apply for the rest of the season. Plenty of races left, a long time to go, so everything to play for. As soon as I do these adaptations and find my feeling with the car, there are good things to come for sure.” – Carlos Sainz concluded.
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