2022 marks the 8th Season for Carlos Sainz in F1. The Spaniard joined F1 in 2015with Toro Rosso alongside Max Verstappen. While Verstappen has gone on to claim 2 F1 Championships, Sainz has gone through a different journey.
Since 2021, Sainz has been with Ferrari and his performances helped the team finish in 3rd place in the constructor’s championship. But 2022 was even better for Sainz as he secured his first Race win and pole position.
But Sainz has suffered from his quota of bad luck. Added to that, Ferrari’s performances waned off after a good start and now the team has to battle Mercedes for 2nd place in the title race after losing to Red Bull.
On paper, it was a win from pole.
But on track? It was a nail-biting, instant classic of a race, which kept us all guessing right up to the chequered flag 😍
Delve deeper into @Carlossainz55‘s maiden win with our latest Inside Story 👇#F1
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 16, 2022
But the Spaniard does not want to play second fiddle to Charles Leclerc. His ambitions are high and wish to restart his hunt to become a Championship winner in 2023.
Also Read: Carlos Sainz doesn’t need judgement of those who don’t think he’s a spectacular driver
Carlos Sainz wants to win the championship with Ferrari
Carlos Sainz was clear with his objective when he joined Ferrari in 2021 after 2 seasons with McLaren. He claimed, “I hope to win the World Champion title.” And the goal hasn’t changed for the Spaniard.
Sainz was 2nd in the 2022 Championship behind teammate Charles Leclerc. But since then he has dropped from the position due to Ferrari’s lacklustre performances in the midseason.
What a lap from Sainz, which claimed pole-position for the 2022 US GP! 👏@Carlossainz55 | @ScuderiaFerrari #essereFerrari | #USGP | #F1 pic.twitter.com/hmGZvLHpL3
— Paul McGinnes 🏁 (@PaulMcG92) October 23, 2022
But he believes if the 2023 car is just as good as it was at the start of the current season, he can go all the way. He said, “I am confident that if a good car is available again next year, I can compete straight away.
He adds, “I don’t have to let go throughout the first half of the season because I am sure that I can maintain my control in a battle once I enter one.”
Also Read: Carlos Sainz disagrees with $50 Million former world champion over Ferrari’s debacles
Ferrari needs to deliver a winning car in 2023
Ferrari started off with a bang, and it looked like Charles Leclerc would clinch the title for the Italian team after a 15-year-long wait. But Red Bull quickly came through with developments and topped them off the lead.
Most of these errors boiled down to reliability issues or wrong strategy calls and ultimately cost the team the championship. But Sainz believes the team can use it as a learning in order to develop a winning car next season.
He said, “The objective will be to get that car back on the road in the first half of the year, and Ferrari is working toward that. Additionally, we want to get better as a group so that we can seize opportunities when they come our way in the future.”
🇺🇸 Nothing much to say… I got hit by the Mercedes into Turn 1 whilst battling Max and that was it. It would have been an interesting race but I prefer to start focusing on Mexico. Difficult to catch a break this season, but we’ll keep going at it.
👉https://t.co/YqAlRPZdIr pic.twitter.com/aqUnbJ7uOv
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) October 23, 2022
Carlos Sainz secured his first pole position and race win at Silverstone with Ferrari. But despite the podiums and accolades, Sainz sits 59 points behind teammate Leclerc in the standings. He is P6 in the Driver’s championship after 2022, Mexican GP.
Of the 20 races so far, Sainz has endured 6 retirements. And in 4 races, he lasted less than a lap. Added to the Engine blow-up in Austria, Sainz has expressed his frustration stating the retirements have impacted his momentum and form.
He adds, “I have improved a lot after a rather difficult start. I’m proud of this, but every two or three races something happened that didn’t allow me to find continuity.“
Also Read: “FIA is too kind to George Russell” – Carlos Sainz remains frustrated with his DNF at USGP