Sainz: It is time to take Ferrari to a higher level

The Spaniard is highly motivated for his second season in the Red of the much-loved Scuderia, fresh from his first year with the team in which he beat teammate in Charles Leclerc in the 2021 F1 championship.

Sainz said of his new car: "The car looks aggressive, it looks radical, and very nice too. It’s innovative, it’s different, you can see there’s been some thought in the garage and I like it because it’s radical, which is what you want to see when you see a new car. I hope it will be fast.

Quickly embraced by Ferrari, earning their respect last year has 27-year-old Sainz fired up for the year ahead: “I am more than ready for this season. 2021 was a great year for me because I learned how the team works and works. It was a great experience for me."

Ferrari have been winless since 2019 and a title in the top flight eludes them since 2008 when Kimi Raikkonen combined with Felipe Massa to win the 2008 F1 constructors championship.

Sainz knows there are huge expectations from Tifosi and F1 in general: "Now it is time to take the team to a higher level, to take another step further. and achieve a more successful 2022.

The scarlet F1-75 unveiled today tips a hat to the style of the old Ferrari's of the sixties and seventies, marking the 75th anniversary since the first car Enzo built rolled off the production line.

"I like it, you see the 75th-anniversary logo and it fits perfectly with the new colour," remarked Sainz of the striking livery. "It takes you back to Ferrari’s past. It’s a colour that is a mix of what we had last year on the rear and on the front, you have mixed it and it is perfect."

As for one of the biggest changes in this year's all-new F1 regulations for 2022, namely the 18-inch wheels.

Sainz said of the new wheels: "We tried them last year in the previous car and it seemed like another step in the right direction. It gives us the possibility to push a little more in the race, to challenge the cars in front by allowing you to get closer.

"The only ‘but’ would be visibility, they are larger and especially on city circuits it can be a problem,” warned Sainz, who will make his 141st start when he lines up for the 2022 F1 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.

Before then, Sainz and teammate Leclerc will get a run in the F1-75 on Friday, a 15 km "demo run" allowed for new cars ahead of the 2022 season, before they are transported to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for more of a shakedown on 22 February, the day before the first thee day F1 preseason test begins at the Spanish Grand Prix venue.