Carlos Sainz has reviewed his first season at Ferrari, in which he finished ahead of his teammate, Charles Leclerc, in the general classification where he was fifth. The Madrilenian attended an event in his karting with his sponsor Estrella Galicia . There he spoke of his renewal, which could be made official in the coming days, of his year and of the objectives for the next academic year.
Balance of the year
“I feel well accomplished, I set ambitious goals at the start of the season and they have been met in my footsteps, I reached a high level at the end of the season, I finished as I wanted with good results. From the middle of the season I felt that I had the car more at hand, to my liking, it was difficult for me at first to understand the degradation of the tires, how to make the race strategy with it, but I was already improving it at the pace of races and in qualifying I improved and everything was easier. The last six or seven races have been like this.
Voted fourth best driver on the grid
“It is a good fact that the team leaders choose you, although I do not know how serious they take it. Among the pilots, the truth is that we connect with each other … well, happy about it and being well considered ».
Luck and leadership at Ferrari
“You can always look at the year race by race and in some there were none and in others there were, but after 22 luck pays off and everyone ends up where they deserve. Ferrari doesn’t care which driver finishes in front of the other, it was important to be third, the most important thing. At Ferrari there is no leader, although few believe me and it has been shown at the end of the season, especially two good drivers leading and directing the team and I think it will continue to be like that and I think it is their thing. Finish behind four cars that are a second faster because you think that being first of the rest was symbolic and a good symbol for those of us behind.
One year at Ferrari
«I imagined many things about that first year, about what I was going to experience, what many people told me I already knew and it helped me to prepare myself mentally, I have enjoyed it a lot, I have met very special people, also feel the support of the Tifosi, I will never forget it ».
What would El Gordo be in 2022?
“El Gordo would be to feel with Ferrari that I can fight at the top, fight for a first victory and opt for a World Cup, no one knows if we will achieve it, we do not know where we are but asked, fight for the first victory and the title.”
Fight with Alonso
“All teams have a chance next year: Alpine, Aston Martin, we … have the opportunity to make a qualitative leap while the greats will continue to lead, of course I imagine fighting for the title with Fernando, hopefully everything is a little more even” .
What do you ask of the Ferrari 2022?
«I only ask that the car go like a rocket to be on top, the rest I put it on myself, I adapt well to any car and I work it out in the simulator, where I give it an address. I have tried it, it is very different in shape and riding, I have been able to develop it, it will be hard to drive, very different, not so comfortable in the balance in a corner for example. And it will be fast, but hard.
Hamilton Withdrawal
“I do not know, I hope Hamilton does not retire, I want to continue competing with him, he is one of the best in history and I want to continue sharing the grid with him.”
Renewal
“I don’t know, we have to sit down and talk calmly, put all the options on the table and see which one is the most attractive for everyone, but I still don’t know what I’m going to prefer, I’m very happy at Ferrari, it was an ideal start and I think we are both happy and agree »·.
Was it just the end of Abu Dhabi?
«I would have liked to be behind them but with the doubled I could not fight for the first victory, especially if they collided. For Hamilton, a red flag would have been more fair, perhaps it would be to do that final with the two equal, but the regulations do not oblige to remove it in that context if there is not a lot of dirt on the track, etc. So you have to analyze what happened, because I think it was a bit unfortunate to be in that position. Sometimes the consistency in the application of the regulations has been controversial and it has to be reviewed although never everyone is going to be happy, but I think that some should be clarified and make the sport more understandable and consistent.
Harassment of Latifi
«It is the bad reality that we sometimes live in social networks. Sometimes I don’t get wet because there is so much polarization, not showing your identity gives you that power without control and it is something that worries me especially about young people who are not mature enough to control the anger that comes from there. We’re looking at it as someone can be such a fanatic in the bad sense of the word. The pilots already did a weekend sit-in without nets, so that the platforms can give us a hand, hopefully in the future there will be more control with these people, I don’t like to see it, I don’t quite understand it and it only inhibits us ».
Better overtaking
“I have no idea, there have been 22 races and many passes, but I have good memories of Turkey because at one point every laps a car passed in the same curve, I remember it for the aggressiveness and the comeback after penalizing, they all went well.”
