Carlos Sainz admits he isn't thinking about fighting for this year's Formula 1 championship.
The Ferrari driver is already 75 points behind leader Max Verstappen at the halfway mark after a dramatic engine failure in Austria resulted in his fourth retirement of the season.
Sainz is also expected to take a grid penalty next weekend in France for a new power unit, meaning there is a high chance the gap to the reigning world champion will only increase further.
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So when it comes to his title aspirations, it's no surprise the Spaniard is pessimistic.
“No, not really, in that sense my approach has changed a bit because it’s true that with the DNFs I got far behind in the World Championship,” Sainz told MARCA on if it remains his target.
"They hurt, and from that point, I preferred not to think about the championship."
Earlier this month, the 27-year-old finally ended his wait for a maiden pole and victory, both coming on the same weekend at Silverstone.
However, the second-generation driver admits his goals were also hit by the error-strewn start he had to the 2022 season.
"I saw that I wasn’t comfortable enough with the car to go for pole positions and victories straightaway," he conceded.
"And maybe the impetus to win and take pole positions also meant that maybe I made a few mistakes too many.”
Perhaps that acknowledgement could mark a turning point in Ferrari's thinking, with team boss Mattia Binotto reluctant to throw the team's full support behind Charles Leclerc until now.
But if Sainz accepts the Monegasque is the better chance to end the Scuderia's 14-year championship drought in 2022 then he may do all he can to assist.
