Carlos Sainz has downplayed the media's continued attention on Fernando Alonso despite now being Formula 1's only Spanish driver.

Much like the German drivers who have followed Michael Schumacher, Sainz has often found himself in the shadow of Alonso simply because of his status as an F1 hero in Spain.

Indeed, despite retiring after 2018, Fernando still remains a huge figure in F1 with questions of a return at every opportunity and every new challenge he takes on drawing big coverage.

"Fernando is a two-time F1 world champion if he receives the attention he receives, it is because he has earned it," Sainz told Motorsport.

"I'm there to create my own reputation and my own way of doing things. So now that I'm here alone, it just hasn't changed anything, and I don't feel differently at all."

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The apparent lack of Spanish interest in Sainz is surprising given how he stepped into Alonso's seat at McLaren and finished sixth in the Drivers' standings in his first year.

But he isn't too concerned about it.

"I don't think about it. It's normal, it's nothing special," he claimed. "I can't comment much about it because I haven't felt a big change.

"Yes, there is the Spanish press, they are helping, they are supporting me a lot, which I appreciate a lot.

"But I never felt that the Spanish press was never with me or that it focused more on Fernando or anything like that."