Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz said that he enjoys the challenge of racing alongside drivers like Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, McLaren’s Lando Norris, and team-mate Charles Leclerc, confirming that his move to the Maranello team has given him the confidence he could “take on anyone” on the grid with the Italian side behind him.
As part of the Red Bull team, Carlos Sainz moved up to Formula 1 six years ago, making his debut alongside a then 17-year-old Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso. However, Red Bull decided to take a big risk and gamble on Max Verstappen back in 2016, as they promoted the 18-year-old mid-season to the main squad, with Carlos Sainz remaining at the junior outfit, alongside recently demoted Daniil Kvyat.
The Dutchman’s career was catapulted into the limelight, however it was a few years later that Carlos Sainz bagged his opportunity to race for the most famous teams on the grid. After moving to Renault for a season, Carlos then joined McLaren alongside Norris before Scuderia Ferrari gave him the chance to drive alongside Charles Leclerc for the 2021 Formula 1 season, as the Italian side was looking to replace Sebastian Vettel at the end of last year.
Since then, the 26-year-old has worked tirelessly alongside Leclerc to turn the outfit around after the Prancing Horse suffered their worse Formula One season in 40 years in 2020, but he believes the backing of such an iconic team has given him extra confidence.
“If you sign a Ferrari deal, you must have done something right in your career,” Carlos Sainz explained, as reported by the German media – “I always felt valued by all teams, from Toro Rosso to Renault to McLaren, even after I left them. When the public thinks I’m in the shadows, I wonder why. Regardless of who I’ve raced against, whether Max, Nico, Lando or Charles, I never had the feeling that I was slower than them or that I couldn’t do something they can. I’ve beaten everyone and always pushed them to the limit. I see this as an accolade. Max, Lando, and Charles are among the top people in the field, also according to my own assessment. I like the challenge of racing against them. And they made me a better driver. That also gave me the confidence that I can take on anyone when I came to Ferrari. If I integrate myself properly into the team and set up the car correctly, I don’t have to be afraid of anyone.” – the Spanish driver added.
Carlos Sainz currently has the edge in the 2021 Formula 1 Driver Standings over his team-mate Charles Leclerc, while Scuderia Ferrari is currently third behind Red Bull and Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship. The season continues at the end of the month after the Formula One summer break with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.
Leave a Reply