“I can only admire and try to copy Charles Leclerc”- Carlos Sainz opens up about his recent struggles at Ferrari and how he can improve

Carlos Sainz went off to a decent start in the 2022 season, but has massively struggled with performance over the last few weeks. 

Sainz’s debut season with Ferrari in 2021 surprised many people. He turned many heads in the paddock by standing on the podium four times, and finishing ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc in the standings.

2022 on the other hand, has been a different story for the Spaniard. Ferrari are now fielding a Title winning car, and while Leclerc has risen up to the challenge, competing for the Championship, Sainz finds himself struggling for performance.

His season went off to a decent start, after he earned back to back podiums in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Since then however, every outing for the 27-year old has been plagued by multiple incidents. Back to back DNFs in Australia and Imola saw him tumble down the Drivers’ Championship standings.

He bounced back in Miami with a P3 finish, but he showed signs of vulnerability once again in Spain last weekend. A spin in the opening stages of the race took away a much needed podium finish for him.

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Carlos Sainz needs some more time to adapt to the car

In an interview with Diaro AS, the Madrid born driver explained the reason behind his recent struggles. While he does not blame Ferrari for the poor results, he admits that the car isn’t suited to his style.

Earlier, team principal Mattia Binotto too revealed that driving styles played a big role in Sainz’s recent results. The F1-75 is apparently more suited to Leclerc, who prefers a car that over-steers. Sainz on the other hand is more suited to a car that under-steers.

“I’m still not there with the car compared to last year,” Sainz said. “The car is oversteering too much for my taste. You can adapt to it or try and make the car fit your style. These take time, and I am trying to correct it as soon as possible.”

“At the same time, to my left there is a guy who is doing an excellent job (Leclerc). With impressive laps that I can only admire and try to copy. As a driver, it is a challenge.”

The next round of F1 takes place in Monaco, a track where Sainz finished P2 next year. He will be hoping for a similar result, if not better, to get himself back in game.

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