F1 News: Carlos Sainz believes "consistent Carlos of 2021" can fight for the Championship
Carlos Sainz believes that improved consistency - like what he showed in his first year with Ferrari - will be the key to his F1 Championship aspirations.
Sainz was one of the biggest surprises from the grid last season, quickly adapting to his machine and proving capable of matching teammate Charles Leclerc.
Whilst the Monegasque still enjoyed a slight edge in overall performance, Sainz was extremely close to Leclerc throughout the 2021 season - despite his relative inexperience at the team.
The same cannot be said about the Spaniard's performance in 2022, which resulted in only one race victory in a machine more than capable of achieving multiple wins.
Sainz managed to take some forward steps in the second half of the year, but further improvements will be necessary if he is to contest an F1 World title.
As quoted by Autosport, the 28-year-old has explained where he must improve:
"My goal is to be consistent. To win races, I already know what this is, but if you want to fight for the World Championship, you have to be consistent.
"If you are at the front, the worst result is 5th or 6th, but with six or seven retirements that we've had, a series of points will go away that make you miss the World Championship...
"I believe that by learning those couple of lessons and going back to being [the] consistent Carlos of 2021, who I think will finish all the races. You can fight for the World Championship."
It remains unclear how successfully Sainz will cope with the increased stakes and pressure of a Championship, especially with the likes of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at the front.
There is no denying that Sainz can perform at a higher level than he showed last season, but next year the Spaniard must prove that he can battle with Formula 1's elite drivers for the greatest prize in motorsport.