The third place finish which Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz scored in Abu Dhabi is not life-changing, but the most important thing is that it provided the perfect ending for Carlos to a year of learning with the Maranello team. This was the first season of Carlos Sainz with the Italian side, a season of progression for the Spaniard with Formula 1’s most iconic team.
And while there were lows at some stages of the championship, Carlos Sainz also had plenty of ups and finished the 2021 Formula 1 season with four podiums and a great fifth place in the Drivers’ Championship – an achievement which allowed him to triumph over his Maranello team-mate Charles Leclerc, who ended the year in P7, 5.5 points behind the Spanish driver.
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Carlos Sainz felt his final third of the season had been strong, and so to finish the year with a podium in Abu Dhabi was “symbolic” of this improvement in his eyes. In an interview for Sky Italia at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix regarding his expectations for the 2021 F1 season, Carlos Sainz explained: “I don’t know what the expectations were, honestly. My expectations were quite high. What I’m sure about is I’m very happy to have had a positive beginning of the season that put me on the right foot to start the season. And then that led me to have a nice growth as a driver here at Ferrari, to do a very strong last third of the season that allowed me to finish with a podium, a perfect race, and P5 in the championship, which is a good result that does not change my life. It’s more symbolic. With this podium I managed to put together everything I learned during this season – the first lap, the tyres, everything to achieve this P3.” – he added.
It is understandable then that Carlos Sainz is now slightly reluctant to be heading into a completely new era for Formula 1 cars next season. Scuderia Ferrari are confident the new rules and regulations can fire them back to title contention, but at this stage the Spanish driver admits it is impossible to say if that will happen:
“Let’s see how these new cars are,” he said of his goals for 2022 – “At the simulator they are very difficult and interesting to drive. So it will be a completely new challenge – all the drivers will have to adapt. Just as I was starting to like driving this car, they change it. But I’m sure I can do a good job next year too and I’m really confident and ready for what will come.” – Carlos concluded.
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