"My driving is really aggressive" - Ferrari's Carlos Sainz contradicts his 'smooth operator' image

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz claims his style of driving is "really aggressive" despite being known as a "smooth operator" in the sport. The Spaniard also highlighted his personal preferences in car setups, claiming he prefers one which understeers.

The Spaniard appeared on the widely popular Beyond the Grid podcast, answering questions ahead of the 2022 season. Sainz spoke about his preferences in car setups, claiming he prefers an understeer-centric setup, much against the image of him being a "smooth operator". He said:

“I prefer a car that understeers than a car that oversteers. Why? because my driving is really aggressive. When I am out on track, I know everyone calls me ‘Smooth Operator’ but I can make a car rotate. Like I turn the car myself with the steering wheel and the pedals. I know how to make a car turn. You give me an understeery car and don’t worry, I will make it turn.”

The Spanish driver made the switch from McLaren to the Italian team at the end of 2020, impressing critics throughout the 2021 season. The 27-year-old was immediately put against wonderboy Charles Leclerc but outperformed the Monegasque right off the bat.

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Ferrari team principal believes their car feels good in slow corners

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says the F1-75 “is behaving well” in slow corners compared to rivals. Following the conclusion of the pre-season testing period in Bahrain, the Italian boss compared his car to those of his rivals. Speaking to Motorsport Italia, he said:

“It’s a machine that is performing well in so many areas, including the power unit. Machines with ground effect perform very well in fast corners, while in slow corners you can appreciate the difference between the various teams. In Barcelona we saw in the third sector that ours is a good car. Others are too, I think Red Bull is very strong and maybe we will be surprised by Mercedes, but for now our car performs well in the slow corners.”

The 2022 cars are expected to perform worse through lower speed corners compared to their predecessors due to the increased minimum weight and loss of downforce that has been introduced this year. With Ferrari claiming to have solved the problem, fans can look forward to a strong season from the Maranello side as they begin their journey back to the top steps of F1.

Catch the action live as F1 heads to the Bahrain International Circuit for the season opener this weekend, where only time will tell whether Ferrari are able to live up to the hype they have generated.