Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz: two completely different tales
One of the vital mentioned matters forward of the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix revolves across the difficulties Lewis Hamilton is experiencing throughout his debut season with Ferrari, the identical workforce the place Carlos Sainz accomplished his last marketing campaign in crimson final yr earlier than transferring to Williams. Opposite to expectations, the Spaniard is now reaching noteworthy outcomes with the Grove-based workforce, which struggled to attain factors only a season in the past.
Adjusting to a brand new workforce
Carlos Sainz, who vacated his Ferrari seat for Lewis Hamilton, highlighted in an interview with Mundo Deportivo the true challenges even a seven-time world champion like Lewis Hamilton can face when adapting to a brand new automotive. He confused that such difficulties ought to by no means be dismissed as mere excuses. He identified that he personally understood how complicated the method may very well be, having switched groups 5 occasions himself, typically with little time allowed for adjustment. Carlos Sainz recalled that public expectations had been excessive—individuals assumed he could be absolutely tailored by the third race. He additionally referenced Daniel Ricciardo’s transitions to Renault and McLaren, noting that each concerned durations of adaptation. He stated he had skilled the identical sample at each workforce he had joined, and on the time many individuals didn’t consider it or noticed it as an excuse. Nonetheless, he believes Hamilton’s present struggles now verify what he had been saying 5 or ten years in the past—maybe it wasn’t credible then, however now it’s.
Sainz’s driving model
Reflecting on his time at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz returned to the 2022 season, when he needed to adapt after a troublesome begin attributable to the brand new technical rules, which clashed along with his pure driving model. He emphasised that a very powerful factor is finally discovering that adaptation. A driver could undergo 5 or 6 powerful months with a workforce, however what issues is reaching the best degree. He felt that with sufficient expertise and energy, a driver would finally show their value. By mid-2022, Carlos Sainz had achieved pole positions at Silverstone, Austin, and Spa, and he went on to win races in 2023, reaching the extent he had aimed for. He believes the hot button is to get there—as a result of the true danger isn’t absolutely adapting to a workforce or a automotive. Thus far, he considers himself fortunate to have managed to adapt to each workforce he’s joined.
Lastly, Carlos Sainz additionally revealed which kind of automotive most closely fits his driving model, naming those that felt most pure to him through the years. He defined {that a} little bit of luck is required when altering groups as a result of sure driving kinds match sure vehicles higher than others. For him, a steady automotive works finest as a result of his pure model entails rotating the automotive extra in corners, producing numerous oversteer with braking and steering. If given a steady or overly steady automotive, he stated he may nonetheless handle it; if given a automotive with a really aggressive entrance finish, he may oversteer it an excessive amount of. Ideally, he prefers stability, however even when confronted with the aggressive entrance finish of the 2022 Ferrari—a automotive he had by no means skilled earlier than—he managed to deal with it, scoring pole positions and ending the yr strongly. That gave him pleasure and satisfaction, understanding that he may deal with any automotive he was given. If he receives a automotive that fits him, he’s instantly quick. If he will get the other, he can nonetheless adapt, and whereas it will not be his finest model, he believes it’s nonetheless a powerful one. For instance, he recalled driving the McLaren and saying after the primary race, “I like this automotive.” That, he believes, was his finest model in Method 1. He additionally had fond reminiscences of the 2021 Ferrari, which he enormously loved driving.