In a recent interview for German automobile magazine ‘Auto Motor und Sport’, Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz explained the improvements made by the team this season and the development work focused on the 2022 Formula 1 season:
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Carlos Sainz: “We are very close and push each other to better lap times from the first practice. I know how strong Charles is. That has improved my own level because I want to beat him. I still don’t have the feeling that I’m driving consistently like in 2019 and 2020. There are still a few points I need to improve. But when things go wrong for me, Charles is there and vice versa.”
Carlos also confirmed that he has given his input with regardis to the development work on next year’s car: “I’ve been driving the 2022 car in the simulator since January to help the team with the development.”
“We also had some development stages this year but the biggest progress came from optimizing the set-up, understanding the tyres and realising the potential perfectly in qualifying and in the race. That can give you the crucial one or two tenths. Our car is good in slow corners. The slower, the better. On the other hand, we’re still lagging behind in all areas where engine performance is crucial. We’re working on that for 2022, where we’ve already made very good progress compared to 2020.” – he explained.
Regarding his target alongside Scuderia Ferrari, Carlos has no hesitations: “The goal for every driver is to be the best in the field. You don’t just want to beat your teammate. It [Ferrari] was a new start for me with a lot of question marks. I knew I was up against one of the fastest drivers, if not the fastest. And in a car that Charles knows well, and in a team where he is well integrated. It makes you wonder how you’re going to fit in. But I can say after half a year that I’m happy with how I’ve coped with the task. The speed was there from the beginning. But I still have to work on doing everything right for a whole weekend on a regular basis.” – the Spanish driver concluded.
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