Carlos Sainz arrived at Formula 1 with the unknown of knowing what he was capable of in a top-class single-seater, but with enough experience to show that he deserved the Toro Rosso seat.
The man from Madrid underwent a final test race after race during the 2014 season in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series , in which he became champion with 7 wins.
However, a course earlier he let the upper echelons of Red Bull know that he would be a candidate to be taken into account in the future, since in the Silverstone young driver test he climbed into the two single-seaters of the energy drinks structure , the STR8 and the RB9.
Those actions served to convince Helmut Marko and his team to offer him a contract at Toro Rosso for 2015. With Max Verstappen, who would eventually become Formula 1 world champion in 2021, he grew up in the Great Circus, going through tense moments that made him move away from the Austrians to try his luck at Renault.
During his time in yellow, from the first race in the United States, he once again banged his fist on the table to make the world see that he was not there because of his last name, but because of his talent and work. That day he finished in 7th position, beating the number 1 of the Ensonte team at that time, Nico Hulkenberg, settled in the category after being the winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015.
With Sainz, Renault went from sixth place in constructors to fourth, something similar to what happened to McLaren, with whom he signed for the 2018 season. Those from Woking rose from sixth place to fourth in the following year, although it was in 2020 when the value of the Madrilenian was seen at its best.
After getting on the podium for the first time at the 2019 Brazilian GP, giving an authentic chair of overtaking, the Spaniard made his way in the middle zone to be the best of the rest, drawing the attention of the biggest, specifically from Ferrari.
Even before starting the campaign in which the pandemic hit hard, forcing the start of the competition to be delayed, those from Maranello announced the arrival of Sainz from 2021.
That moment was just one of the highlights of 2020 for the driver, as he was solid in the points with the MCL35 , which he, along with Lando Norris, lifted to third in the constructors’ spot.
This is the point in favor of Carlos Sainz in Formula 1, the development power that he gives to each team in which he lands and that, of course, he brought out in his debut with the red jumpsuit, adding four podiums, including one in the Principality of Monaco.
When he landed at Ferrari, most of the paddock thought that his role would be to support Charles Leclerc, whom they had placed all their trust in, renewing until 2024. This statement is not something that comes from an opinion as such, but rather that the boss of the team, Mattia Binotto , stated that the aim of the Prancing Horse was to make Mick Schumacher the next driver for the Italians.
So, if the Monegasque was tied up in the distant future and the son of the seven-time world champion had all the ballots to be a starter at Ferrari soon, you could think that Carlos Sainz was something of a guarantee patch.
Nothing is further from reality. The Spanish driver not only demonstrated the safety and reliability that he displayed, but soon became one of the references on the grid, matching Leclerc’s pace from the start, even beating Monaco’s at certain moments, and that who did not know the single-seater so much.
It is true that the problems outside the driving affected both, but when you go out on asphalt, whatever happens depends on oneself. To put it in perspective, you can’t say you were unlucky for a penalty where, for example, you disturbed a rival’s fast lap, because if it had been managed well, you would never have been on the road. of another car. The same could be with a mechanical failure, where if a part had not been pushed to the limit, it would have held.
Leaving this aside, be that as it may, Carlos Sainz finished at the top of the classification of the ‘mortals’, a fifth place that tasted like glory after seeing the checkered flag at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he climbed on the podium again. In that race he climbed to the third step, sharing honor with Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver of all time, and Max Verstappen, recently crowned champion and who was his old partner.
That was the perfect representation of the hypothetical case of what would have happened with Carlos Sainz if Red Bull had trusted him as with the Dutchman, with two different paths sharing a destination.
But it is useless to imagine scenarios that will never happen, and here comes the answer to the question posed. You have to trust Carlos Sainz for all the reasons he has given and the growth of each team in which he has been throughout his career, where with a drastic change in regulations, he can take advantage of his development power to return to Ferrari at the top.
The man from Madrid stated that his dream was to make the team from Maranello champions, and if the writer Calderón de la Barca is listened to, dreams are dreams, although another philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson , said that we should make our dreams come true.
In Sainz’s case, we all know which option he has chosen.
