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Carlos Sainz did not have a great start to the Imola GP weekend. The Spanish driver found himself in the gravel in Q2 after setting a lap that was good enough to reach Q3. The mistake was the second in two races for the Spaniard, who has consistently lost ground to his teammate in the championship, and risks getting relegated to the "No. 2" role.
Speaking about the situation faced by Sainz, 2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg feels it might have something to do with the consistent pressure of a potential championship battle that is putting the Spaniard in these compromised positions. In a conversation with SkySports, Rosberg said:
“I think we need to see the situation here is that maybe the pressure is getting to him a little bit. Being in a Ferrari and fighting for race wins and championships all of a sudden is the ultimate pressure situation in F1. It doesn’t get tougher than that really, mentally.”
The German further went on to elaborate on Sainz's situation, saying:
“Maybe we’re seeing him having some difficulties with adjusting to that situation, especially having Leclerc [as his teammate], who is on fire at the moment and is performing so incredibly well. Maybe we’re seeing the stress get to him a little bit. He needs to figure that out and, of course, use those mistakes going forward. This has been a terrible start to the season so far, including this [qualifying crash].”
Carlos Sainz will start the sprint race on Saturday in 10th position while his teammate Charles Leclerc will be on the front row. Sainz is already facing a huge deficit of 38 points against Leclerc. If the Spaniard doesn't turn things around, he could lose out big time at a team like Ferrari, which is notorious for allocating all of its resources behind one driver.
Carlos Sainz has just signed a 2-year extension with Ferrari
On a rather positive note for Carlos Sainz, he was able to secure a 2-year extension with Ferrari just before the start of the Imola GP weekend. The Spaniard moved to Ferrari last season and was even able to beat Charles Leclerc in the points standings and score multiple podiums as well.
This year, however, the tides have turned. Sainz has his back against the wall as he tries to get on the momentum that his teammate is riding on.
