Sainz Hopes Younger Generation Continue to Battle Fairly Even if Stakes Are Higher

Carlos Sainz Jr. hopes the fair racing he experiences against the young crop of drivers in Formula 1 continues if the battle moves towards the front of the grid.

The twenty-seven-year-old Scuderia Ferrari driver was one of the standout performers in 2021, silencing many of his doubters with strong performances that saw him earn four podium finishes and fifth place in the Drivers’ Championship.

However, battles with the likes of team-mate Charles Leclerc, McLaren F1 Team’s Lando Norris and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team-bound George Russell have all been close but fair up until now, and the Spaniard hopes this will continue even if the battle is for wins or podiums.

Sainz feels he has reached a level where he is capable of fighting with anyone on the Formula 1 grid, but he just hopes it all remains civil and fair going forward.

“I just enjoy battling guys like Charles, Lando, and George when he will get the Mercedes next year,” Sainz is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.  “It’s a generation of drivers that, even if I am not exactly the age that they are, I just enjoy fighting with them.

“I think they are on a very good level, but in a way they also manage to keep it clean on-track, and put together good battles.  This year, if you look at the midfield and the way we’ve managed to behave ourselves and race, it’s been a really positive.

“Let’s see next year if we are all fighting for higher stakes if we can keep it that way, because personally I enjoy it a lot. But I feel capable of fighting anyone, for sure.”