Sainz saw Leclerc come close to Verstappen's level: 'I'm realistic'

Carlos Sainz is dissatisfied with how the season has gone, he says in an interview with the BBC. The Spaniard hoped to compete for the world title with his competitive car this race year, but never came close to that goal.

However, his teammate Charles Leclerc proved at the beginning of the calendar year that it was indeed possible. Sainz, therefore, stressed he would look critically at himself and would only be satisfied when he managed to lead the world championship.

"I'm realistic," Sainz began. "And I know how good Charles is in those conditions. This year he has been driving at a level that is very close to Max or any other driver. And for me he's in a way done a perfect season, apart from the two or three typical mistakes everyone does in a year, or the luck which maybe he has been lacking the same as me."

Sainz, however, does not want to point too much to luck but wants to take responsibility. "I am not proud, because I am not ahead. The day I am ahead in the statistics is the day I will be proud. Until then, I will keep working at it, keep finding lap time in myself."

Sainz still has something to fight for this season, although achieving it will be quite challenging. Indeed, the driver can still finish fourth in the world championship but will have to settle with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. He is 19 and four points behind respectively.