The man from Madrid made his first statements after the change of boss at the Scuderia at a promotional event in Galicia accompanied by Marc Márquez
There is no Christmas without Carlos Sainz’s now traditional meeting with the sports press, both those who travel to the circuits and those who do not, sponsored by Estrella Galicia 0,0, one of the oldest sponsors. But this time they traveled to the heart of the Coruña company and with a luxurious companion: Marc Márquez. Although both the Formula 1 and MotoGP driver live in Madrid, it was decided to travel to the brewery’s headquarters to toast a year in which many emotions have been experienced on both sides.
Sainz was the main protagonist of the press questions who, after visiting the museum and the drinks factory, had a few moments to chat with him. It was a performance with statements but without questions from the press, although the subject of the moment and for which Sainz was in the news was also discussed: the change of team leader. The act had been scheduled for months, so Fortune wanted the calendar to fit perfectly.
The driver from Madrid arose from the fears created in the sector of the Spanish fans by the arrival of Fréderic Vasseur in place of Mattia Binotto. There were reasons for it. The former Sauber team principal was one of those responsible for bringing Charles Leclerc to Formula 1, guiding him into the team that will become Audi and now he arrives at Ferrari after a 2022 which saw his ups and downs with Binotto. The possible favoritism of the French towards the Monegasque has led to doubts about Sainz’s future.
The Spanish pilot knew that either in appearance or off the record he would have to react to this. Instead of hiding or disclosing the usual topics, he confessed to something not known until now: Vasseur, when he was in charge of Renault, called to inquire about him.
“It is a change that we hope will be for the better. When a new person arrives, there is an extra motivation for him. Fred needs to be given time to make him work, there are over 1,000 people and he needs his time. I trust him a lot and I know him because he wanted to sign me back in his time at Renault. Yesterday I called him and had my first contact with him and I hope it goes well,” he analyzed about this. It is clear that he has learned his lesson well and although it is not really known whether the status of the team will change, he prefers to wait to see Vasseur in person in early 2023 to draw up the new roadmap.
As for last season, Sainz admits it hasn’t been the best of his years. He lacked that consistency he had in his previous years, especially in 2021 when he managed to score points in every race.
“There are a lot of good things about this season. Like the first win and the first pole position or the nine podiums, but I also had difficult moments like in the beginning when I had a bad start and problems when I was better. The goal for 2023 is for there to be more high peaks than low ones, to become regular again. You have to be regular to become a champion and to win races. Moving on, the worst result was a 5 or 6, but with the number of dropouts, I fell a lot. Apart from the fact that Verstappen has been very strong, Carlos must return consistently like the one in 2021 who finished in the points in all races,” he insisted.
It will be a year to show that it is there. The Italian press is very harsh with a Sainz they demand to become Ferrari’s number 2. The Ferrari environment, always uncomfortable for those who don’t get in, doesn’t play in the Spaniards’ favor. Therefore, when asked if he sees himself closer or further from world champion, taking advantage of being in La Coruña, he threw a very orderly gallegada: «I see him near and far. Close because I am in one of the best teams, the most successful in history, but we are in a time where there are very strong teams and drivers like Red Bull and Ferrari. We must take advantage of the circumstances. This year was the first time I had a car to fight and I learned a lot fighting there, fighting for wins and pole positions.
That is the target set for 2023: grow and grow as a pilot. From casually fighting for wins and pole positions to being constantly busy. And that’s how you can toast, with beer or whatever.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
