Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz believes people often underestimate just how difficult it can be racing in the midfield, particularly when you're up against two world champions at McLaren and multiple race winners like Felipe Massa.
The Spaniard says he's proud to finish ahead of some of F1's big name drivers, even if it doesn't equate to points, because he's still beating drivers like Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in a team which has a far smaller budget and a year old engine.
That is an achievement in its own right and should be recognised as such by those outside of the sport according to Sainz.
"We [Sainz and fellow countryman Alonso] are always together on track and I think the performance of his car now and the performance of my car at the moment is the closest it has been," Sainz told F1i. "I would say now they are even a step ahead of us, especially in terms of power, so it’s a tricky balance.
"At the end of the day people tend to forget that even if it’s in the midfield I am battling every race with two world champions and with podium finishers like [Sergio] Perez, [Romain] Grosjean, [Valtteri] Bottas, [Felipe] Massa – a race winner – and that’s my battle.
"People tend to forget that the midfield is actually still very talented and I’m able to still win a lot of battles in the midfield.
"That’s why I’m proud and that’s why I feel that this year has been good, because there has been many world champion battles out there in the midfield and we’ve come along pretty well."
Sainz currently sits 11th in the standings with 30 points, ahead of both Alonso and Button and just eight points shy of Massa.
