Carlos Sainz has only sampled a virtual version of Ferrari's new F1-75, but the Spaniard says his new mount feels even more reactive than last year's unforgiving car.
The Scuderia started early on the design of its 2022 contender, foregoing the development of its 2021 machine to focus almost entirely on the development of its all-new F1-75 that caters to F1's new ground effect aerodynamic regulations.
But a significant amount of work has also gone into improving Ferrari's hybrid power unit that will feature an updated internal combustion engine.
Speaking to Italy's Corriere della Sera, Sainz confirmed once again that the Italian outfit's 2022 prancing horse will be "very different from the machines seen in recent years" and will be "innovative to the maximum".
"Up until last year we drove the best cars in F1 history, well balanced but unforgiving," he said. "If you lost control for an instant, you would crash.
"This Ferrari seems even more reactive to me, the suspensions are more rigid, we will have to get used to managing it."
©Ferrari
Sainz said that the time it will take to master Ferrari's new prancing horse will likely depend on how easy it will be to drive.
"If it is easy to drive, everything comes faster, the lap times come almost on their own," he said;
"Then you have to compare the data with those of others. I don't think the first test in Barcelona will be enough, but in Bahrain we will have some definitive information."
Sainz's maiden season with Ferrari surprised many pundits who believed the 27-year-old would struggle alongside teammate Charles Leclerc.
While Sainz's perhaps lacked consistency in the first half of the 2021 season, he was very much on a par with the Monegasque, and sometimes even faster, when he managed to put a clean weekend together, a feat he achieved more often in the latter part of the year.
However, while Leclerc is contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2024, Sainz has yet to extend his lease with the House of Maranello beyond this season.
"As [Mattia] Binotto said, we are both satisfied, we intend to continue together and this winter is an opportunity to find an agreement," he said. "We are trying.
"Becoming a world champion with Ferrari is my highest ambition. I would like to renew as soon as possible."
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