Carlos Sainz will drive for Scuderia Ferrari from the 2021 Formula One championship after being announced as the replacement for Sebastian Vettel. According to reports in Spain, the Maranello team first made contact with Sainz in 2019 and talks ramped up last week when Vettel’s intentions became clear.
A lot of people will argue that the has signed as a number two driver, a wingman for Charles Leclerc. This is not the case. Sainz will have equal opportunity. A driver for Ferrari races for the team, first and foremost. Could that mean the team asking Sainz to move over for Leclerc? Yes. But equally it could cut both ways, depending on the situation.
Sure, he’s entering Charles Leclerc’s house, there will be pressure like no other and it is bound to take him time to adjust to his new surroundings. But many would agree we’ve seen enough to suggest he will be able to sternly challenge the Monegasque. Crucially it is a multi-year deal, offering the stability that has allowed Sainz to flourish at McLaren.
The perfect scenario for Scuderia Ferrari is two drivers capable of winning, offering them stability in the medium to long-term. When Charles Leclerc joined Ferrari, he was a de facto number two behind Sebastian Vettel, the team openly admitting the German would be favoured.
By the end of the year, he was clear number one, with a lucrative long-term contract in his pocket, and his former team leader was soon to be out the door. There is absolutely no reason to think Sainz won’t have the same opportunity to do exactly that when he joins.
Ferrari won’t mind which driver that is, though you suspect they will feel Charles Leclerc is better placed given his impressive first year with the team (and a second season still to come before Sainz arrives).
And while Charles Leclerc will be disappointed should Sainz reach the chequered flag first, the pain won’t quite be the same as Vettel encountered because he knows he has a long career ahead of him, while Seb was fighting to hang on. It’s a completely different dynamic, and one which will breathe fresh air into a Ferrari team throwing caution to the wind by naming their youngest ever line-up in a bid to bring the biggest silverware of them all back to Maranello.
It’s a positive signing, bold for them, fantastic for Formula 1 and another shot in the arm for the next generation.
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