"We need to keep digging" - Carlos Sainz disappointed in Ferrari-Red Bull gap despite securing pole for 2022 F1 Belgian GP

Carlos Sainz took pole position at the 2022 Belgian GP despite having finished second in Saturday's qualifying. Max Verstappen set the fastest lap of the session, but will start in P15 after receiving engine-related grid penalties.

Carlos Sainz has successfully scored the second pole position of his career, his first being at the 2022 British GP. The Spaniard will start in front of Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso in Sunday's main race where he will be hoping to keep the Red Bull driver behind him.

The Ferrari driver had a poor final lap in Q3, having reportedly lifted off the throttle while going up Eau Rouge. However, Perez couldn't manage to find more pace than the 27-year-old around the historic track and finished behind him at the end of Q3, putting him at a slight disadvantage for Sunday's main race. However, Sainz has claimed that he is disappointed with his team's gap to Red Bull at Spa.

While speaking to Naomi Schiff in Parc Ferme, Carlos Sainz said:

“Happy to be starting on pole but not so happy to see the gap to Max [Verstappen] this weekend and the gap that Red Bull has on us. We need to keep digging to see why Red Bull are so fast around this track...but to start on pole is a good place to start and we will try and win from there tomorrow.”

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Carlos Sainz won last time he started on pole position

Carlos Sainz fought his way to victory at the 2022 British GP after taking his first pole position in the sport the previous day. The Spaniard was able to convert his starting position into his first-ever win in the sport, making the 2022 British GP all the more special. However, he has since failed to win a race and even failed to finish the 2022 Austrian GP, putting him on the backfoot compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc.

The 27-year-old driver currently sits fifth in the Driver Standings, more than a hundred points behind championship leader Max Verstappen. Sainz's 2022 title bid has been heavily impacted by poor strategic choices by Ferrari and by the team's general lack of reliability.

As per former F1 driver Marcus Ericcson, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have begun doubting their teams' strategic calls. He told Sky F1:

“I think the problem, from a driver perspective, and I think we’ve seen it quite a few times this year is that both Carlos and Charles are doubting the decisions that the pit wall is doing during a race. Obviously, that trust that you need to have as a driver with your team, it seems to be lacking a bit between Ferrari and their drivers and, over a season, that’s not good.”

However, with the Spaniard starting in pole position for Sunday's 2022 Belgian GP, fans can remain hopeful for another solid finish for the Ferrari driver.