What could’ve been the perfect start of the season for Carlos Sainz, didn’t quite turn out to be. Even though the first two races were great for the Spaniard, the DNF at Australia left the Ferrari driver with so much to do for the rest of the season. With Imola Grand Prix coming up this weekend, it might be a career-defining race for Carlos.

The unfortunate DNF at Albert Park left Sainz far behind of his teammate Charles Leclerc. Alpine’s Fernando Alonso hindered the former McLaren driver’s final push in Q3. This resulted in Carlos starting from P9 on the grid. As soon as the race started, Sainz started struggling, lost control, and went out of the race.

READ MORE: “Ferrari Also Wants the Constructors Title…” – Could Carlos Sainz Settle For Second Driver Role Amid Early F1 Struggles?

It is believed that the upcoming race at Imola is of utmost importance for the Spanish driver. Talking about this, former Italian racing driver Davide Valsecchi conveyed, “If he’s not going to solve the situation, I mean if he’s not going to win the next two or three races, it’s going to be the second driver Leclerc is probably going to be the world champion.”

”To be the second one (in the team) is not going to be easy to accept. As a racing driver, we would like to be the best, at least the best in the team. So in this condition, in my point of view, it’s not easy. There’s no way because the car is competitive, the only way is winning.”, the GP2 winner further stated.

What Ferrari to expect from Carlos Sainz at Imola?

With the performance both Charles and Carlos put in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Ferrari was confident of six podiums out of six possible chances. With the Italian Grand Prix coming up next, Ferrari would want Carlos to step up to follow leader Charles in their home Grand Prix on Sunday.

As of now, Charles is in P3 in the driver’s championship after picking up two podiums in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Sainz collected 33 points and is just shy of Mercedes’s George Russell who’s in P2 with 37 points. Leclerc leads the championship with 71 points.

WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton Warns F1 Over Ban: Chop My Right Ear With Piercings Welded On