“Is he your target?”: the question from the Spanish journalist stirs up the rivalry between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, but the Spanish driver responds with maturity.
The result of the Austrian race shortens the distance in the championship between the two Ferrari drivers. In the press conference following the race which was held at the 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, a Spanish journalist rekindles the rivalry between the Monegasque driver and the Spaniard, seeking an answer that, however, comes calmly.
The contact during the Barcelona race had reignited tensions within the Ferrari garage. Then came the clarification and the return to smiles in Spielberg, where Charles Leclerc’s contact at the start contrasted with Carlos Sainz’s podium. The Spaniard heads to Silverstone just fifteen points behind his Monegasque teammate and 21 points behind second-place Lando Norris.
Considering also the missed race in Jeddah, the Marca reporter in Spielberg tried a sly question. “You are only 15 points behind Charles, despite having one less race. Is beating him this season one of your main goals?”
With great agility, the Spanish driver of the Prancing Horse avoided the pitfalls in the question: “Yes, it seems that you guys put a lot of weight on this, obviously, on the championship,” Carlos Sainz began.
“Of course, since I missed the race in Jeddah, I’ve been trying not to look too much at the championship standings, because I’m racing against these guys but with one less race,” he continued.
The focus of the Spanish driver is elsewhere: “I mainly aim to get on the podium, to try to win. I don’t focus much on the championship; it’s not easy to compete against the best in the world facing them with one GP less.”
“But so far, I think I’ve reached the podium five times out of ten, also winning a race,” Carlos Sainz continued. “It’s a really good statistic, I think my driving this year is good. I’m focused on seizing the opportunities that will come during the season, trying to fight for the podiums because I might not achieve them next year. I’ll give it my all and enjoy moments like today’s podium,” Carlos Sainz concluded at the end of the Austrian Grand Prix, reflecting on his last chances in Formula 1 at Maranello.
Source: f1ingenerale
