Carlos Sainz has revealed what was his toughest moment at Ferrari

Carlos Sainz will face his last two races at Ferrari. The Spanish driver had to look for a seat on the grid for next year (finally at Williams) when he was surprised by the ‘yes’ of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari from 2025. Before packing your bags for the historic complex of Grovethe Spanish driver for MD reviews his four years in red, at the most iconic team in F1, where he claims he grew up in every way.

“I have improved in all aspects. In the end, four years of Formula One and four years in a team like Ferrari, four years being the partner of a great driver like Charles (Leclerc), because in the end it’s all things that add up to gain experience, learn and “Improve as a driver”the man from Madrid declared to this newspaper.

“The one thing that certainly hasn’t changed is the desire I entered, the same one with which I said goodbye as a Ferrari driver and always, obviously, trying to give my best. I remember that I came to this project with great enthusiasm, with a lot of desire and the desire that remains intact”he assured.

His most complicated moment at Ferrari: in 2022

In these four years, Carlos, who reached Ferrari after leading the beginning of the rise of McLarenhas confirmed himself as one of the best on the grid, although this has not been reflected in a large number of wins (4 in total) or fought for the title. To do this, he needs a championship car which he doesn’t have. And it was out of his hands.

In that sense, the man from Madrid opened referring to one of his most difficult moments with Ferrari. This is in 2022. Paradoxically, this is when the team of Maranello the new regulations of F1 with the car winning the races at the beginning of the course. He had the car to win those early rounds, but not his, meanwhile, his partner Charles Leclerc won the first and third races and second in the second race.

A Formula 1 driver has to adapt to the car created by a team’s engineers to be as fast as possible on the track. But in many cases, to be fast in that car, you have to drive it in a certain way that is different from the norm.

In 2022, F1 cars have completely changed with the introduction of ground effect and new aerodynamics.

And surprisingly, the driving style Sainz needed for that new car was completely at odds with him.

I had to think too much about how to do thingswhile to be fast, things must come naturally. He fought it for months to automate things he wasn’t used to. He bowed his head to the criticism of the people They forget that Sainz beat Leclerc in his first year in red in 2021 and worked to change his style. And after much effort in the shadows, he achieved it.

“That was the hardest, no doubt. It was the first time in my career that I encountered a very important challenge ahead, which was to adapt to a car where I couldn’t run fast at the start. I had to change a lot of things about my driving style to adapt”Carlos reasoned. “It’s also true that now, when I look back, it’s what I’m most proud of, because I went through five or six very difficult races and then, from the seventh or eighth race, I started to improve a lot, I started. to make more podiums, I ended up on pole at Spa and Austinthis last race I could have won if the first corner with Russell hadn’t happened to me. And I became a stronger driver, because I had to expand my range of driving styles.remember

“That made me a more complete driver, because while before I was a driver capable of driving only 75% of F1 cars, I found myself with 25%. and I was able to adapt. And now I can say that I believe I can adapt to anything in F1,” he highlighted.

However, by that time, the car that won from the start had already been overtaken by a crushed Red Bull. There was always doubt as to what would happen if Carlos started winning in 2022, but that’s exactly what made him stronger.