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Carlos Sainz has completed his maiden year with Ferrari by validating the legendary marque's decision to pair him with Charles Leclerc for 2021.
At McLaren, the Spaniard finished ahead of teammate Lando Norris in both 2019 and 2020. While he was certainly brought into Ferrari with high expectations, not many would have guessed that he would finish ahead of Leclerc as well as both drivers from his previous team.
Finishing on the podium at the very last race of the season in Abu Dhabi assured him of P5 in the drivers' standings with a 14-race point-scoring streak - the best of his F1 career so far.
Statistics and information
Team: Scuderia Ferrari
Team Principal: Mattia Binotto
Points: 164.5
Wins: 0
Laps led: 12
Podiums: 4
Poles: 0
What went right for Carlos Sainz in F1 2021?
Having switched teams three times in his F1 career, Sainz was expected to take some time to settle in at Ferrari. However, having more experience of adapting to different teams than most other drivers allowed him to get up to speed at Ferrari rather quickly - as evident by his second-place finish at Monaco in May.
The 27-year-old's strong performances from the outset stood out when compared to Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo, both of whom also completed their first year with their respective teams. While Perez finished the year strong, he struggled to find his footing during the first half of the season. Ricciardo, on the other hand, continues to flounder at McLaren.
Sainz also relocated to Italy in order to get closer to the Maranello-based team and build balanced relationships with the crew. That was eventually reflected in their seamless communication and teamwork which netted four podium finishes.
The first half of the 2021 season proved to be challenging for Leclerc, who encountered his share of bad luck. However, both Ferrari drivers were consistently-matched in terms of points and race finishes during the second half.
Sainz's team spirit has been appreciated by his fans, especially in races such as the 2021 Mexican Grand Prix. The two Ferrari drivers ended the season with a 5.5-point gap and earned Ferrari a strong P3 finish in the constructors' standings - a massive jump from P6 in 2020.
What went wrong for Carlos Sainz in F1 2021?
Despite finishing the season ahead of Charles Leclerc, it has to be acknowledged that Carlos Sainz was outqualified by his teammate in 13 of the 22 races.
The Spaniard occasionally struggled to find pace and extract the maximum from his car. He lost out on points due to a lack of confidence in the car at races such as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where he qualified in P11, while Charles Leclerc started the race from P4.
Additionally, the Spaniard crashed at the Hungarian, Dutch and Italian Grands Prix. With a clear "driver mistake" admitted as the cause by Carlos Sainz at Zandvoort, his season has no doubt hit a few bumps along the way. A mistake while qualifying in Hungary also knocked him out of Q3 and forced him to start the race from P15.
What to expect from Carlos Sainz in 2022 F1 season?
Ferrari will no doubt expect more from Carlos Sainz in 2022 after an exceptional first year. With new technical regulations coming into play and the team reportedly having focused its efforts on next year's car, making a run at the championship isn't completely out of the question.
Additionally, the two Ferrari drivers have been regarded as one of the best pairings on the grid this year, and will be expected to continue working harmoniously in 2022.
As reported by Planet F1, there is a strong likelihood that Ferrari will extend the Spaniard's contract. As of now, Carlos Sainz's deal is set to expire at the end of 2022.
