Carlos Sainz: “I have never experienced a year as difficult as 2022”

2022, year of discoveries (and firsts) for Carlos Sainz. For the first time in his career, the Spaniard was able to drive a car capable of winning… and the title too, on paper at least. The Madrilenian scored his first three pole positions in F1 as well as his first victory during the British Grand Prix last July. However, to hear the words of the pilot of the Team, the year was not as happy as it seemed...

Frustrated by a failed start to the season, with two retirements due to accidents during the first five Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz was never really in the title race, unlike his teammate Charles Leclerc. When asked to look back on 2022 and what he learned from his experiences, Sainz replied: “A lot, to be honest. The start of the season was very difficult, I was immediately sidelined and faced challenges that I probably didn't expect, confided the Ferrari driver.But honestly, I'm very proud of the way I picked myself up this season, the way I managed to stay motivated, even with all the ups and downs that I had, with all the setbacks that we we had. »

2022, " the year I learned the most since 2015 » admits Sainz

After the multiple disappointments at the start of the season, Carlos Sainz gradually got back into the rhythm of his teammate, to the point of beating him on several occasions. The Madrilenian finally finished the championship in 5th place with a whopping 9 podiums, 3 poles and a victory for his best record in F1. “I think that in that sense, it’s the year where I learned the most since 2015 (his first year in Formula 1, Editor’s note.). Then I had harder and easier years, but never a year as difficult as 2022”, commented Carlos Sainz, who finished 62 points behind Charles Leclerc at the end of the 2022 financial year.

The son of the three-time world rally champion explained that he had to quickly adapt to his new mount, very different from the one used in 2021, and recognizes that his acclimatization took longer than desired. “I found myself in a position where I was constantly off the pace in the first five, six races. I had to fight a lot to change some things in my driving, some things on the car, try to make the car a little closer to my liking. » Now, confident with the new generation single-seaters, Carlos Sainz has only one goal: to win the title in 2023.

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