“Could Have Won the World Championship”: Carlos Sainz Makes Bold Claims About His Struggle-Filled Season

The tale of Charles and Carlos, at Ferrari, will be one to remember. Both good in their ways have set out to bring glory back to Maranello. Surprisingly, after all the hype for Charles Leclerc in 2021, it was Carlos Sainz, on his debut for Ferrari, who took the higher standing in the championship. This made him a strong contender for the championship in case Ferrari proved itself competent in the next year.

Sadly, things didn’t turn out well overall for the Spaniard. Yes, he did get his first win of the year. But he couldn’t perform to the best of his abilities. Sainz attributed it to the distinct style of the car that was built under the latest regulations. Amidst all of these insights over the struggling season, Sainz also made bold claims about how the season would have gone if the car suited him.

As quoted by Motorsport from Motorsport-Magazin, Sainz said, “After last year, I trust myself more and I am better prepared. Now I know what it’s like to fight ahead and what I have to do for it. Honestly, I wasn’t ready with last year’s vehicle. I could have won the World Championship in the style of the 2021 vehicle. I wasn’t in a good position last year, but this can happen sometimes.”

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Clearly, Sainz struggled to get a hold of his Ferrari. Coupled with bad luck and other reasons, he failed to finish P4 as George Russell, despite a worrisome W13, claimed it. 

The struggles of Carlos Sainz with consistency

Sainz, as a driver, became known for his consistency at McLaren. In both of his years at McLaren, he finished sixth and has been making tremendous strides in terms of points accumulated over the season. The number has been consistently on the rise but one which he hasn’t maximized given the F1-75’s prowess.

Reflecting back on his season, the Spaniard said, “I am trying to start better this year and adapt to vehicle conditions. There are things I want to be better. For example, I no longer have the consistency that made me so strong in McLaren and my first year in Ferrari.”

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Last year, Sainz had a whopping six DNFs in total, be it his own fault or of the car. This had set him off from the championship run. But despite all of this, he reminded us of his ability with the victory at Silverstone. He also has nine podiums in total, one more than Russell.