Carlos Sainz is confident of getting "better and better" as the 2022 season develops, having so far failed to reach "100 per cent" confidence at the wheel of the F1-75. Sainz was overshadowed by Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with the Monegasque holding an edge across one lap and a race distance. As such, Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen have largely been in a fight amongst themselves at the head of the pack, with Sainz watching on and eager to put himself in the mix for pole positions and victories.
Sainz yet to hit "100 per cent" in the new Ferrari
Despite his car-related niggles, Sainz followed Leclerc home in Bahrain after Red Bull's double retirement and rounded out the podium in Saudi Arabia, meaning he sits just 12 points away from his teammate after the first two rounds. Going forward, the Spaniard is hopeful that he will be able to make the next step and cause Leclerc and Verstappen more problems. "I'm not feeling 100 per cent [with the car]," Sainz told media, including RacingNews365.com , as the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend came to a close. "I feel like we already did a step in the right direction, and this gives me hope that if we keep working like this then I should just keep getting better and better every race. "It might need a bit more trial and error, trying one direction, maybe not getting it right, and coming back."
Saudi Arabia a useful exercise for Sainz
Sainz added that he found F1's quick return to Saudi Arabia - and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit - extremely helpful in terms of highlighting the differences between his 2021 and 2022 contenders. "I was here 100 days ago with a car that gave me a lot of confidence; I was super quick around here with last year's car," Sainz asserted. "Coming to this track and doing the same lap 100 days later with a car that doesn't give me exactly what I need, or the way I [want it to] feel, makes me realise exactly what I need to work on [and] where I need to put the car for the future. "It has given me a greater overview of the situation and I know exactly what to do for future races and in which type of corner I need to work on."
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