Carlos Sainz became a part of the Ferrari F1 team in 2021, by replacing Sebastian Vettel and partnering with Charles Leclerc. Despite this, when asked about his closest friends in the paddock, the Spanish driver continues to maintain a strong relationship with his former McLaren teammate.
It’s no secret that Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris formed a great bond while at McLaren, and Sainz has shared that Norris remains his closest friend among the current drivers on the grid:
“Apart from my team, so obviously friends inside the team… Friend is a strong word that I don’t like using for anything or anyone. My best relationship in the paddock of all the drivers and engineers I would say still Lando [Norris] and some of my engineers that I’ve had – Tom Stallard, Ricky [Riccardo Adami], I have really good relationships with,” – the Spanish driver explained in a recent interview for the official Formula 1 website.
As he approaches his final Grands Prix weekends with the Maranello team before his move to Williams starting with the 2025 Formula 1 championship, Carlos Sainz reflected on how his passion for the sport began. Despite his father being a two-time WRC champion, the younger Carlos Sainz always had his sights on Formula 1. Interestingly, the drivers he admired most as a child all raced for Ferrari at some point in their careers: “Watching Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen battle back in the 2000s. That golden era, I think, was incredible for F1. Just seeing them, they were my idols when I was 10 years old, when they were fighting for championships.” – the Spaniard added.
Before moving to Williams next year, Carlos Sainz still has two sets of tripleheaders to finish with the Italian side. In 2024, the Spaniard secured one victory, at the Albert Park circuit in Australia, and is currently sitting fifth in the championship, trailing by 47 points behind Oscar Piastri, who is now working with Carlos Sainz’s friend and former race engineer, Tom Stallard.
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