Carlos Sainz drove for two years at McLaren alongside Lando Norris, but announced earlier in 2020 that his adventure would be over after the last season. With Sebastian Vettel, who did not get a new contract with Ferrari, a spot had become available where Sainz moved to. In the meantime Sainz has already moved into the Italian team and according to McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl the Spaniard is ready for it.
Two years at McLaren
Carlos Sainz has enjoyed some successes at McLaren. He finished sixth in the drivers’ championship twice in a row and was able to take the podium twice in a row. The hope is that Ferrari will do even better, so that he can continue his success, but with the current state of Ferrari, that’s still coffee on the table.
In any case, Sainz has everything a driver needs to be successful with a good car. He learned this in the last two years at McLaren, where he came in when the team had just had a few difficult years. The Spaniard has always shown commitment and Andreas Seidl is very happy with that.
“Carlos has clearly played a very important role in our journey over the past two years,” Seidl says to Motorsport-Total.com. “He came to us after a very difficult time for the team. And from the first outing, the test in Abu Dhabi two years ago, he gave everything for us, both in the car as a driver and outside the car in terms of the working relationship and attitude towards the engineers.”
Success at Ferrari
Carlos Sainz has helped McLaren well in the development of the car, but also the team. He proved that himself, says Seidl: “In the end, the points he scored with us in those two years speak for themselves, and the result we were able to achieve as a team in the constructors’ championship.” The mentality, the development and the commitment, that’s what Ferrari will do well according to his former team boss.
Seidl: “The way he drives, the way he deals with the team outside the car, together with the environment he has around him, I have no doubt that he will do well there and that he will succeed with Ferrari.” There, of course, he will find a strong competitor in Charles Leclerc, which will be a challenge, but nevertheless Sainz has it all.
“But as I said, I think in these two years at McLaren you could see that Carlos has everything it takes to be a top driver”, and that wasn’t just only him, it was also the team. “It was clearly a crucial period in his Formula 1 career. I think that, together with the work we did in the team to give him a competitive car, with all the changes within the team, he had the opportunity to show his talent, which he has.”
Finally, Seidl says: “It is fair to say that both sides have benefited. But once again, he has shown what he can do with the team and a car that is also on the rise. And that gave him the chance to go to Ferrari.”
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