The circus is preparing to face the eighth round of the world championship, and among the riders there are still those who struggle to take over the car. That between Sainz , F1-75 it is a more tormented relationship than one could have imagined. Last year the Madrid player surprised everyone by closing the world championship as first of the others, but the return of the concept of ground effect has the appearance of a rock that is difficult for the pilot to get around Ferrari.
A complex start
If in the first two races in Bahrain e Saudi Arabia Carlos Sainz met expectations closing second and third, from Melbourne then Spanish fell into a whirlwind of mistakes and misfortunes who made him fall, to date, al fifth place in the drivers ranking, behind Russell for one point. In Australia ea Imola retired after running into gravel, and in Spain risked the same epilogue. Also to Miami not everything went smoothly: during free practice the number 55 hit the barriers concrete, however demonstrating a significant reacquisition of confidence, concluding the weekend with a third place.
A positive weekend
In Monaco, exactly where last year Carlos put an extra gear, he sealed the front row alongside Leclerc, finishing the race in second. Not a bad performance, where the Spaniard demonstrated a skill that not all riders have, namely one strategic and lucid reading of the race: Carlos, after the call to the pits for the intermediates, actually proposed to the team the direct switch to slick tyres, a strategy which was then implemented and proved to be correct.
Il Principality weekend, for Sainz, is to be welcomed pleasantly, even if a bitterness was clearly read on his face for a second place which, perhaps due to a more complex dubbing than expected, it could have been a win.
The comparison
Carlos has obvious difficulties in comparison with Charles Leclerc, the scoreboard marks a 0-7 in qualifying, and a 2-5 in the race. If last year the Madrid player amazed by holding up the internal duel, this year he is struggling; a sign that when you have the means that allows you to fight for the leading positions, you don't play the same sport as those in the middle of the table. Carlos has always shown he can make up for the shortcomings against those judged to be more talented with the job, but now it doesn't seem to work. The Spaniard has often given the impression of concentrating more on getting the better of the internal fight than on himself, but his partner means business. Carlos will surely have understood that first he has to focus on himself, aware of the fact that a constructors' championship depends on its performance, which today is heading towards Milton Keynes.
What is missing
Sainz has never taken a victory, he only came close to it twice: last Sunday and at Monza in 2020. The Spaniard has one on his side team ready to support him has always been contractual security not recently. Maybe the only thing that would get him out of the swirl of negativity he's in is the first win. The season is long and there will be opportunities, the Ferrari driver will only have to seize the moment.
“I just need to be a little faster. I need one or two tenths, in terms of qualifying and race pace. If I find that speed I found in the second half of 2021, victory will come. I've worked hard this past year to find it."
The search for feeling
The number 55 reflected on difficulty in gaining confidence with this new type of single-seater, apparently not easy to drive: “From the telemetry it can be seen that I'm not comfortable yet with the car compared to last year. I'm not driving naturally. You can adapt or modify the car to match your driving style. However, these two things require time, knowledge and experience. It takes mistakes, trial and error. This is what I am trying to do now and what I will try to fix as soon as possible."
SOURCE: F1general
