The 2022 Formula 1season started strongly for Scuderia Ferrari, as the Maranello team finally seemed able to challenge its rivals for race wins and titles. The one-two finish secured by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the opening round of the championship, the Bahrain Grand Prix, could in fact represent a new and longed-for beginning, especially following the last two complicated years.
However, the season did not go as hoped. Reliability soon betrayed the F1-75. This was followed by several errors made by the Ferrari pit wall by also by the drivers, which led to valuable points lost in the fight against Red Bull.
While the Ferrari strategists have been highly criticized by the media and fans, it’s fair to also take a look at the performance of the drivers. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have in fact performed differently in the 2022 F1 championship: if the Monegasque driver proved to be Max Verstappen’s only possible challenger, the start of the season was not that great for the Spaniard. In fact, Carlos Sainz struggled more than his teammate to find the right feeling with the ground-effect Ferrari car. A situation that resulted in a season full of ups and downs, an aspect that the driver himself has honestly pointed out.
The second year in Ferrari seemed to be able to give more to Carlos Sainz. Just as the performances shown in the second part of 2021 appeared to be the right way to go to allow him to challenge for ambitious targets this season. The second place secured in that first weekend in Bahrain, behind his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc, then really gave the right energy to really start dreaming of that world title. A push that, however, had no effect for Carlos.
If on the one hand that first career victory at Silverstone stands out, there are also some difficulties with which Carlos Sainz still seems to be struggling today. The Bahrain result soon gave way to several difficulties. Reliability of the car aside, the Spaniard often had to deal with himself first and foremost. In fact, the obstacle of another new car was not easily overcome and some time passed before seeing a Carlos finally at ease in the cockpit of his F1-75.
The Spanish driver himself admitted that his 2022 Formula 1 season was characterized by ups and downs. A kind of roller coaster between exceptional performances and things to forget, with the risk of getting off the carousel perhaps more confused than before. The pressures for a Ferrari driver are never easy to deal with. And those that were unleashed this year, in particular with regard to the choice of the first driver status, did not simplify a path that had started uphill for Carlos Sainz.
“I can’t be happy.” These are the Ferrari’s words on the 2022 season after the Japanese GP. A race that ended early for the Spaniard given the mistake on the first lap that forced him to retire after crashing in the barriers. The 2022 World Championship represented a great challenge for F1 drivers. As well as a novelty. The ground-effect single-seaters returned to the track after years and had to be rediscovered: a task that not everyone succeeds quickly and easily.
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Carlos Sainz thus had to face more difficulties in what is the classic fight for the world rankings. Not only did his feeling with the F1-75 have to be improved, but he had to prove that he was up to the task of competing for the dream of winning the title. The mistakes from the start of the season have disappeared, showing the great work Carlos Sainz has been able to do. The first career victory then crowned the other little dream that every driver has.
The pressure of the Ferrari fans and the Italian media did not help him: the loud request was in fact to have Charles Leclerc as the first driver A difficult reality to accept for those who compete to win. The world championship then took a different direction for Scuderia Ferrari, partly saving the Spanish driver from what is a complicated burden to carry, but in some cases necessary. Being a second driver can in fact have negative effects when you don’t think you are.
To be able to fight among the best for the world title you don’t just need to have maturity on the track. A quality that Carlos Sainz has often shown to have. The battle to be the best means pressures that not everyone can withstand. And perhaps Carlos Sainz is still missing a few small steps to prove he can be up to it. The comparison with Charles Leclerc is therefore a must and the result, to date, does not leave many alternatives. Making mistakes, on the other hand, is part of growth. But for that to happen, sometimes, you need to accept that you can’t necessarily be the best.
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