Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has opened up about his goals in Formula 1, as well as the ups and downs he’s endured at the Italian team.
After a strong start with Ferrari last year, Sainz’s hopes for more podiums and wins were thwarted by the dominant force of Red Bull, which had claimed every win of the season so far..
Reflecting on the situation, Sainz accepted that Ferrari is struggling to return to their former glory.
“It’s been a challenging season,” he said.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
“All of us at Ferrari expected more from this year’s car and performance.
“We haven’t done the best job.”
In the face of the setbacks, Sainz remains content with his how he is personally performing on track, even if some results haven’t reflected his true potential.
“I saw from very early on [as a junior] when I was winning that I was very good.
“But I was naïve to believe that just by winning I was going to be a winning F1 driver,” Sainz shared.
“I started to understand that everything needed to align.
“There needed to be a space for me in F1 and then I would need to be good enough to stay on.
“There’s always challenges.”
Despite growing up as the son of racing legend Carlos Sainz Sr., the young driver felt no pressure from his father to pursue a career in motorsport.
He expressed that his passion for F1 came naturally and that racing had been an integral part of his life since a very young age.
“My dad never got me into it, it was just me and something inside me that wanted to drive,” he emphasised.
“It was just the genes, I’m not going to lie.
“I happened to fall in love with F1 as a sport.
“It coincided with racing in go-karts, and since the age of two, I’ve always been on top of a car.”
Although Sainz is still on the right side of 30, he has already amassed an impressive streak of consecutive seasons in Formula 1.
While some drivers plan to retire early, he remains focused solely on his F1 career and is not tempted by other opportunities like the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“Yes, I would, one day,” Sainz said about Le Mans. “But I don’t think about it yet. Why? Because I’m so focused on F1.”
With a contract at Ferrari until the end of the 2024 season, Sainz is determined to help the team recover and improve their performance.
His ultimate dream is to become a world champion, achieving more victories and podium finishes in the future.
“I want to be a world champion one day,” he asserted.
“I want to be winning more races.
READ: Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin demand
“My brain is only thinking about that, and I don’t even think about the other possibilities.
“Now, my target is to help the team develop the car and go faster.
“That will allow me to fight for podiums and wins. And that’s what I’m here at Ferrari for.”