"The one who has the most desire is me" - Carlos Sainz aims to take his career-first win in his home race at the 2022 F1 Spanish GP

Carlos Sainz is aiming to take his first career win in his home race at Barcelona next week. The Ferrari driver believes that the 2022 F1 Spanish GP will be his first “real chance” to fight for a podium or even a victory after a string of bad races. Speaking to Spanish media outlet AS, Sainz said:

“It is the first real opportunity to fight for the podium. Winning would be unique, because it would be the first and it would be at home, for that I work every day and I try to get there as soon as possible. The fans will want it, but the one who wants the most is me.”

Carlos Sainz is yet to score a career victory in F1, despite being in the sport for more than seven years. While he almost won for McLaren in 2020 at the Italian GP in Monza, he stands a much better chance of scoring a win in 2022 than at any other so far in his career.

Despite Ferrari being a genuine championship contender this season, Sainz has been unable to exploit his car’s full potential unlike his teammate Charles Leclerc. Struggling to adapt his driving style to the radically different F1-75, the Spaniard could not threaten for race wins in the few races of the season.

Furthermore, a string of unlucky incidents during the last few races has not helped his cause. They have led to a further battering of his confidence within the cockpit, while he fell further away from this teammate in the driver’s standings.

Regardless of his recent form, Carlos Sainz is optimistic about his chances ahead of his home race, especially given his past form at the Circuit of Catalunya-Barcelona. He added, saying:

“It’s an intense week, but also a lot of fun, I’m going to enjoy the Spanish GP like no other. At home I have always done my best races, I always scored points when I had a car to do it.”

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Sell-out crowd at Spanish GP shows F1 going in the right direction: Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz believes the sell-out crowd at the 2022 Spanish GP is proof that F1 is headed in the right direction. He says the last time he saw such a crowd in his home race was when Fernando Alonso was at his peak. Speaking to AS, he said:

“[The fans] support me as much as they can because every little bit, they do is noticeable from the car. I remember going to the Spanish GP in 2005 and 2006, with the grandstands full when Fernando [Alonso] was winning races. In 2010 and 2013 it filled up again, but we haven’t seen it like this since. The full house shows the good direction Formula 1 is going and the support we have in this country. It will be a unique and very fun grand prize.”

F1 has grown exponentially in the last few years following the implementation of various crucial changes aimed at making the sport better. Changes such as the cost cap, the new aerodynamic regulations, as well as improved fan engagement through social media and Netflix, have led to demand for the sport skyrocketing across the world.