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Sainz: Drivers will have to adapt for 'most demanding F1 season'

Carlos Sainz says that drivers will have to adapt and be prepared for next year’s record 23-race schedule, and especially the run of flyaway races at the end of the season.

Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari

Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari

Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

After this year's run of 22 events, the calendar is extended by one event in 2022.

However, there will be more races outside Europe, with Miami added and several races that were skipped for the past two seasons returning.

Sainz says he will put together a plan to ensure that he will still be in good shape for the later races.

"I think next year is going to be tough for everyone," said Sainz. "

"It's no secret that is going to be the most demanding season in F1 history.

"And as drivers we are going to need to adapt, we're going to need to make sure we stay on high energy levels, and control a bit the way we do things to make sure we arrive fresh to the end of the year where the back to backs start to happen, and where the big travelling days start to happen.

"I'm sure I will do my my due diligence with my people back at home to put together a plan to arrive to the second half of the of the season as fresh as I can be."

Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari in the drivers press conference

Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari in the drivers press conference

Photo by: FIA Pool

Sainz conceded that the end of the 2021 season, which was re-jigged because of potential problems with countries that were UK red zones, is not ideal.

"It's just a shame that because of COVID we couldn't do back to back Austin/Mexico, which would have been easier for everyone," he said. 

"It's a shame that we need to go from Brazil to Qatar straight away, but I don't mind so much the order, it's just the back-to-back situation hasn't been put particularly efficiently.

"But we all know it's because of COVID, it's because of the little compromises that the championship has needed to take, and I hope that next year's calendar and everything is a bit more together, that there's not necessary travelling here and there."

AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly said that the schedule for the remaining races of the 2021 season is "brutal."

"I'm excited about all these new tracks," said the Frenchman when asked about changes to the current calendar by Motorsport.com.

"I think it's going be quite brutal, to be honest. Especially in terms of going from Brazil to Qatar, it's going to be a very tough one, after 20 races in the year, and going with a big, big time difference, two different continents, for a third week in a row.

"But that's way it is. I'm prepared physically for that."

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