For another year, Carlos Sainz has participated in an event organised by his sponsor, Estrella Galicia, at the karting track that bears his name, to meet with journalists and take stock of the past season.

At the event, where he has been answering questions from the national press, the Spanish driver spoke about his possible renewal with Ferrari after finishing fifth in the championship, as well as about his goals for 2022.  

End of year balance: A personal goal fulfilled  

Looking back at his first year in Maranello, Carlos Sainz spoke of his satisfaction with a season where everything has gone to plan. On one hand, he achieved excellent results with podiums in Monaco, Hungary, Russia and Abu Dhabi.

On the other, he adapted well to the tires, improved in the quali and climbed up the standings during the second half of the championship, all of which adds up to a brilliant season:

“I am fulfilled. At the beginning of the season, I set myself a number of very ambitious objectives and I have been able to meet these through the year. I have ended the season at a very high level. I have finished as I wanted to finish, with good results. Halfway through the season, I started to feel the car was more like I wanted it to be”.

“In the beginning, it took me a while to understand tire degradation and how to work the race strategy around it, but I got better at it with every race as well as in qualifying then it all became easier. That was the case for the last six or seven races”.  

His first year in Maranello  

One of the things that Carlos Sainz has been most taken with during his first year in the team of the Prancing Horse has been the warm welcome and support received from the passionate Italian fans: 

“I imagined many things about that first year and about what I was going to experience. I knew the things that many people had told me and that helped me to prepare mentally. I have enjoyed myself enormously and I have met some very special people. Also, feeling the support of the Tifosi is something that I will never forget”.  

Who is the leader in Ferrari  

As for the thorny subject of who is the leader of La Scuderia, the #55 repeated that his team seeks the common goal above the individual interests of its drivers:

“Ferrari doesn’t care which one of its drivers finishes ahead of the other. The important thing, the most important thing was to be third (Manufactures´ Championship). Even if not many people would believe it, there are no leaders in Ferrari, as was demonstrated at the end of the season. There are just two good drivers leading and directing the team and I think that’s how it will continue and how it should be”.  

Wishes for 2022 and what does the new Ferrari looks like  

Carlos Sainz has one wish for the new year: For his car next season to be good enough to give him a chance to fight for the first places. He has already tried it and commented on its different demands as it compares to this season’s model:

“I am only asking for the car to be fast as a rocket so that I can be at the top; the rest is on me. I can adapt well to any car and I work hard at the simulator. I have tried it and it is very different both in shape and in how it drives. I have helped develop it. It will be hard to drive, very different, less comfortable on the corner balance. It will be fast but hard”. 

Renewal with Ferrari  

One of the obvious topics discussed at the event was his awaited renewal with Ferrari, which, according to several sources, is a done deal:

 “I don’t know, we need to sit down and talk calmly. Bring all the options to the table and see which is the most attractive for everyone but I still don’t know what I want. I am very happy in Ferrari, it has been an ideal start and I trust that we are happy on both sides and we will reach an agreement”, finished Carlos Sainz.

Images of Carlos Sainz: Estrella Galicia.