Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) (AFP)

"Adapting is in my DNA": current sixth in Formula 1, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr has already been on a podium twice this season with his new Ferrari team, with which he wants to "reach a new level" to bring the Scuderia back to the top in 2022.

Q: You are on a par with Charles Leclerc, who is in his third season with Ferrari.

Is the goal to beat him at the end of the season?

A: "My ambition is to be better than anyone. It's a promising start with Ferrari, obviously I knew I was going to face one of the fastest, if not the fastest on the grid. , with a car he knows very well and in a team in which he is very well integrated. I can say that I am satisfied with my adaptation. From the start, the speed has been there. Almost every weekend, I managed to be really fast. But it's not just about driving fast. Maybe the thing that I still miss is consistency. What makes a good season is do the weekends on a regular basis and that's the goal now. "

Q: How do you explain these good beginnings?

A: "I have always been a driver capable of adapting. When I was a teenager, a child, when I changed category or car, I always appreciated the fact of having to be fast right away, I I loved these challenges, it's in my DNA. With the experience, I have also improved, I have known four teams in F1, and I know how big the challenge is. When I went from Toro Rosso to Renault, From Renault to McLaren and now to Ferrari, I've never underestimated the challenge. But it's funny because I don't think I've been consistent in 2021, compared to my last two seasons with McLaren. "

The Ferrari of the Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr, during the practice of the GP of Spa-Francorchamps, August 27, 2021 JOHN THYS AFP

Q: You used to be friends with Lando Norris at McLaren, and now seem to get on well with Leclerc. Is it just your way of being or is it also a strategy?

A: “To be honest, it's just the way I operate. I don't come in a team with pretension, bad feelings. I'm very open-minded. Recently I've been trying to change my approach to trying to make the most of Formula 1 weekends. If I'm having fun my performance is better. So why not get along with my teammate, laugh at our good and bad qualifying, have a little fun relationship ? We both look in the same direction, the team atmosphere is better and I enjoy the race more as well. And then Charles is a cool guy, we have common interests, we can have some good conversations, playing sports together. And in the race he's respectful, so I don't see why I don'twouldn't get along well with him. "

Q: How to explain the differences in performance of Ferrari?

A: “Our competitiveness from one weekend to the next is linked to the characteristics of the track. Our car is very strong at low speeds. The lower the speed, the better the car, which is why we were so strong in Monaco, in Baku. On the contrary, we are not yet at the point where power reigns. We still have weaknesses at this level and we are trying to improve. But the progress that Ferrari has made are already incredible, both engine side than the chassis. Now, for 2022 we want to take a new step forward. "

Q: Your father Carlos Sainz is double world rally champion (1990, 1992) and triple winner of the Dakar (2010, 2018, 2020).

Your destiny is intimately linked to his ...

A: “It's inevitable that I'll end up being a pilot with a character similar to my father. We've spent so much time together since the start of my career, he's my mentor and my advisor. I have a philosophy of running and life similar to his. Of course, I also have my own character, which is more like my mother's by the way. My dad always told me how much he loved racing and if you want to continue risking your life at almost 60, you have to love him very much. He gave me that passion for motorsport. "

Interview by Olivier Levrault before the Hungarian Grand Prix in August

© 2021 AFP