On a brilliant summer day in the heart of London, Carlos Sainz found himself chatting with F1 Staff Writer, Mike Seymour about a range of topics. The conversation flowed like the finest vintage wine, delving beyond the surface to uncover the unique interplay between Formula 1 and Carlos’ home country, Spain. Spain’s embrace of Formula 1, with talents like Carlos Sainz and the revered Fernando Alonso, is a symbiotic relationship that fuels his passion.

“Whenever you have a bad race or a little bit of a bad patch, as any other driver, sometimes with the Latin drivers you can hear a bit more criticism,” said Sergio Perez, some time ago. His focus was to portray light upon how hard it can be for Hispanic people to get into Formula 1. Be it competing or just being the audience. But contrasting to that, Sainz believes the surge in F1’s popularity is not only a reflection of his country’s enthusiasm but also a global phenomenon powered by innovations like streaming documentaries and social media engagement. The sport is evolving, reaching new generations, and Sainz stands at its forefront.

In the vibrant mosaic of Latin America, an intense passion flows through the veins of its people, especially when the spotlight turns to the world of sports. The term they’ve embraced, “fanáticos,” perfectly captures the deeply fervent essence that characterizes them, molding them into ardent enthusiasts. In Sainz’s own words as quoted by Formula1.com, “This is fantastic for Estrella Galicia 0.0%, fantastic for me, fantastic for Fernando, fantastic for F1. In my view, Formula 1 is experiencing a remarkable surge in popularity, not just in Spain but across the globe. This is an incredible moment to participate in this global F1 movement.”

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Carlos Sainz is certainly proud to be one of the top Hispanic drivers in F1 besides Fernando Alonso & Sergio Perez. While his performance with Ferrari has been a mixed bag, Sainz knows he has what it takes to achieve glory with the Scuderia. Although, lately the Spaniard is in firefighting mode to do damage control on Ferrari’s mediocre 2023 season/

Carlos Sainz and the quest to evade unwanted Ferrari record in a turbulent F1 season

In F1, attention-grabbing statistics often highlight the unwanted records drivers aim to avoid. Sainz’s 2023 season has fallen short of expectations, with his best finish in the first 12 races being fourth place. To evade an unfavorable Ferrari record, Sainz must strive for a special spot after the summer break.

While Sainz initially outperformed his teammate, Leclerc has been luckier during Ferrari’s unpredictable journey, now leading by seven points. This situation puts Sainz at risk of echoing Kimi Raikkonen’s undesired 2014 record, one of only two regular Ferrari drivers in the 21st century not to secure a podium finish in a season. The other was Felipe Massa in 2011.

Ferrari’s season has been a mix of ups and downs. Although they’ve displayed speed on certain tracks, their performance hasn’t matched their relatively successful 2022 season, partly due to Aston Martin’s impressive winter development progress. With Red Bull dominating the top spot, a competitive battle ensues among Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and McLaren for the secondary positions. Charles Leclerc’s impressive three podium finishes and one pole position (excluding Spa) underscore his pace-based achievements.

The question remains: Can Carlos Sainz break onto the podium this season?

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