For Sainz, the title of champion is mostly determined by who has the best car

Carlos Sainz had a very successful season, finishing 5th in the driver’s championship with 164.5 points. During that same season, he saw his former teammate at Toro Rosso win and outperform Lewis Hamilton. This victory doesn’t surprise him at all, considering Verstappen’s performances and his car’s performance from the beginning of the season.

“I don’t find it strange, because I could see it coming from the early races, Max had some opportunities [this year],” explains Carlos Sainz to AS.

These chances have notably come thanks to the Red Bull car, which was designed to contend for the title in 2021. According to him, the car plays a major role in the chances of winning a world championship. He even goes as far as saying that there are currently “7 or 8” potential world champions on the grid. So, for the Spaniard, it all depends on the car.

The one who will have the car will be the champion. Indeed, what Max has done is special, the level at which he and Hamilton competed is spectacular. Max knew how to wait for the right moment at Red Bull, he waited five years for this moment. Hamilton, on the other hand, put his finger on it (on a competitive car to compete for the title) in his first year at Mercedes, details the Spaniard.

Verstappen had to wait a long time before getting a car that could challenge for the title, unlike Hamilton who was able to quickly contend for the title once he arrived at Mercedes.

So for 2022, with the new regulations, the pressure to build a car that can win the title is very high for manufacturers when you consider the importance and time it can take. And if the team can’t quickly adapt to the new regulations, they immediately fall behind and must catch up to the others every season.