Imola president explains why Carlos Sainz is the right choice for Ferrari. Why Carlos Sainz is the right choice for Ferrari.

The president of the Imola circuit, Gian Carlo Minardi, will carefully observe the Bahrain Grand Prix, the inaugural stage of the long 2021 Formula 1 season. The next race will in fact be on the Santerno circuit, the first European event, on 18 April. An event that will attempt to relaunch the so-called ‘made in Italy’, while considering that we will have to deal with a pandemic that unfortunately does not seem to end soon. The presence of the public on special occasions, according to the latest decisions of the Draghi government, should not be possible.

If Ferrari were to confirm the improvements made in the tests and in the first free practice sessions, Imola could still feel a little more love for the Maranello team. According to Minardi, as reported by the Resto del Carlino, it will not be easy, however, to regain the lost positions: “Ferrari unfortunately lagged far behind in terms of performance. Recovering is not easy, it takes time” – he explained.

In the meantime, however, the Red team has found a new wind of hope in Carlos Sainz, after the melancholy farewell to Sebastian Vettel: “The revelation of the season will be Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard will positively surprise those who are underestimating him. I like Carlos very much. He is the right choice. He is young but already experienced. He brings to Maranello the things he has learned between Red Bull, Renault and McLaren. He will get the results, perhaps not immediately compared to Charles Leclerc who knows the environment of Maranello by heart. But in the long run Carlos Sainz will play on par with the Monegasque.” – said Minardi with optimism.

Gian Carlo Minardi himself told the Spanish newspaper Marca that he has always liked Carlos Sainz: “I’ve been watching him for years, I already liked him from the pits. It is true that the single lap time is essential for a driver, but the behavior, language and relationships he establishes within the team are also important. In these respects I followed him and he always gave me positive signals. I think Ferrari made the right choice. I would have signed him much earlier.” – he concluded.