After the Vettel earthquake: Sainz in a Ferrari from 2021

Ferrari should announce on May 15 or 16: Sebastian Vettel’s successor is Carlos Sainz. The 25-year-old Madrilene had already signed, for the years 2021 and 2022, with an option on the part of Ferrari for 2023. For the World Championship sixth of 2019, Ferrari will be the fourth employer in Formula 1 after Toro Rosso (2015-2017), Renault (2017 / 2018) and McLaren (2019/2020). Carlos Sainz is the fifth Ferrari works driver from Spain – after Alfonso «Fon» de Portago (1956/1957), Marc Gené, Pedro de la Rosa (both only as test drivers) and Fernando Alonso (2010 to 2014).

There are four reasons for Sainz: he is still young at 25, but also has five years of Formula 1 experience with 102 World Cup appearances. It costs Ferrari only a fraction of the salary that had to be paid for Sebastian Vettel. And team boss Mattia Binotto is convinced that Sainz and Leclerc are easier to handle than Vettel and Leclerc.

Former GP driver Marc Surer praises: «Carlos Sainz has matured into an extremely reliable driver who always performs. That was not the case in the first part of his Formula 1 career. It was clear to me from the start that Sainz would hardly refuse an offer from Ferrari. »

With this, Ferrari is relying twice on a young pilot within two years. This was not the case for decades. Before and after Felipe Massa 2006 (the Brazilian was 24 years old at the time), Ferrari generally relied on experienced drivers in the modern Formula 1 era, never on the young. As regular drivers, drivers were always contracted who had at least one podium or were already GP winners and world champions. The thinking here: Only two proven GP winners enable Ferrari to have a word for the constructors’ cup.

As the best result, Sainz brings third place in the 2019 Brazilian GP. It is his only podium in Formula 1 so far.

Already in May 2016 it was circulating for the first time that Sainz could one day sit in a Ferrari. In May 2016, world rally champion Carlos Sainz extended the antennas towards Maranello for his son. Dakar winner Sainz wanted to make sure that his offspring did not fall between the chair and the bench – if Toro Rosso might be replaced at the end of 2016 and Carlos would lose out.

But Sainz stayed with Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), then was loaned to Renault by Red Bull in 2017, where the young Madrilene drove until the end of 2018; The band was then separated into a friendship for many years when Sainz switched to McLaren, where he has been driving since 2019.

Last winter, Carlos Sainz commented on new rumors about joining Ferrari: “Sure, it’s nice if you are associated with Ferrari. I see that as a compliment. »

In a live chat organized by the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, ex-Ferrari test driver Pedro de la Rosa said: «Carlos showed an excellent season in 2019 and finished in a great sixth place. I see Leclerc and Carlos as a young, extremely talented duo – as a team with a great future. »

Carlos Sainz in Formula 1

2015 with Toro Rosso: World Cup 15th, 18 points
2016 with Toro Rosso: World Cup 12th, 46 points
2017 with Toro Rosso, then Renault: WM-9., 54 points
2018 with Renault: WM-10., 53 points
2019 with McLaren: World Cup 6th, 96 points (3rd in Brazil)
2020 with McLaren
2021 with Ferrari

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