Carlos Sainz has the least race completion in 2022- Is it just bad luck or is the Spaniard really struggling?
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Carlos Sainz after suffering a DNF, one of many this season
Carlos Sainz was signed by Ferrari to replace Sebastian Vettel in the 2021 F1 season. It was a big responsibility to fill the shoes of a four-time world champion and Carlos proved his worth to the Prancing Horse in his first season for the team. In 2021, The Spaniard was the only driver who had switched teams and was able to up to the pace of his teammate (Charles Leclerc), impressing the team and the critics alike.
Ever since his days at Toro Rosso, Sainz has been regarded as a fierce and talented driver. He has been compared to his childhood idol and fellow Spaniard, Fernando Alonso on multiple occasions. He had been a consistent points scorer in the midfield during his time at McLaren. Along with a couple of podium finishes for the British team.
However, as we reach towards the end of the 2022 F1 season, Sainz was nowhere near the title fight while Leclerc is still P2 in the standings. A series of DNFs have resulted in the Spaniard having the least race mileage on the grid this season with a completion percentage of only 76.1% (833 laps). Charles Leclerc on the other hand is at 90.4%. (989 laps).
Also Read: “FIA, YOU’RE A SHAME” F1 Fans furious with Fernando Alonso’s 30-second post-race penalty
Can Carlos Sainz’s poor results be justified?
In the start of 2022, Ferrari arguably had the fastest car on the grid, providing a perfect opportunity for both of its drivers to win the drivers’ championship for Ferrari for the first time since 2007. Thought it was Charles Leclerc who seem to fit right in it and went on to win 2 of the first three races while the Spanish driver played the second fiddle with 2 podiums and one DNF in Australia.
This situation did not improve itself as Sainz has been the unlucky victim of reliability issues forcing him to retire in Austria and Azerbaijan. He was on the receiving end of a collision with Daniel Ricciardo at Imola, again leading to a DNF. He has also been on the back foot in terms of qualifying against his teammate, with only 3 pole positions to his name compared to Charles’s 9.
How does it play out for his future?
Though what we must understand is, that even without the bad luck and unreliability, for most of the 2022 season. Carlos Sainz has not been able to consistently match Leclerc. The potential of fighting for the championship was wasted as he struggled to catch up with his rivals throughout the season. When you really are driving one of the faster cars on the grid, you must be at your 100%, after all this is Formula 1.
This by no means makes Sainz a poor racing driver, he is talented and we’ve seen it time and time again. His contract extension speaks for itself that the team is satisfied with his results. As for Sainz, we do know what he’s capable of and he himself would be looking towards the 2023 season as a new start where he is on par with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc from round 1.
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