Carlos Sainz has compared racing for Ferrari to playing for Real Madrid and the National Team at the same time. The 27-year-old has revealed that he signed with the Italian team in pajamas. He has also spoken about his good relationship with Leclerc, although he does not rule out that it could get a little more tense.
Questioned about his signing for Ferrari in Motorsport , Carlos Sainz told “a funny story.” “There was a long negotiation period, as is normal in these cases, and it happened just when we entered the coronavirus pandemic, so everything was a bit more complicated because, in fact, the negotiation was done by phone and via zoom . Day after day we worked in the small office that we have in the house in Madrid, when the whole family was confined at home. One day I woke up at 8 in the morning, and in my pajamas I looked towards the office and saw my father who brought me a pen and said: “Sign here, it’s the Ferrari contract” . So I can confess that I signed it in my pajamas at 8 in the morning, right after I woke up and I remember saying to myself “OK, good morning, what a great day!” It was a good moment, we had reached the end of the negotiations and when everything was concluded it was a relief, both for the result and for being able to put everything aside and be able to think about the future, “he said.
Still, Carlos Sainz assures that it has not changed. “It’s strange because one day you wake up saying: ‘OK, I’m a Ferrari driver’, but it’s also true that I’m still the same Carlos , the same boy, the same driver with the same passion and the same talent. You do the same job as before, but now you do it for Ferrari, and this is a great responsibility , which you feel especially when you are in Italy. This is the strongest feeling, and you get it when you go to Monza. Suddenly, you realize what it means to be a Ferrari driver. You feel it all over the world, but when you go to Monza, you suddenly realize that it is huge, bigger than you could have ever imagined. But I’m still the same Carlos, nothing changes in that sense, “he confessed.
“ There is an extra responsibility that does not exist in other teams , and it is linked to representing not only a team, but a nation , let’s say… it ‘s like playing for Real Madrid and the Spanish team at the same time . It is not just a club, it represents an entire country. Racing for the Scuderia means racing for Ferrari and for Italy, you have to be aware of the responsibility that comes with it, but in the end it is an honor . Italy is a country that I love and in which I have spent a long time since I was a child. Sportingly, I grew up on Italian tracks competing in karts, and here I immediately knew about the passion that exists in this country for Ferrari. I grew up with many other kids who were racing on go-kart tracks dreaming of one. Today I am a Ferrari driver, and that is why today that I am competing for this team I feel honored and privileged, something of which I am very proud ”, he added.
Carlos Sainz’s doubts
What the Madrid rider has admitted to having had are doubts: “I think that every rider goes through a period in which, sooner or later, doubts arise . Sometimes it depends on the days, there are some in which you feel extremely safe and others in which you ask yourself questions, perhaps not really about yourself, but about the situation you are going through. It would not be honest if I said that every day I wake up feeling the safest man in the world , all athletes go through bad times , or not particularly good. But I can say that passion and motivation have never been lacking, as well as the will and awareness of having to give the best to the team ”, stressed Carlos Sainz.
“Then there were some less happy moments, like when they announced that the pre-season testing of the 2021 season would be only three days in total , which meant for me very little time to try to get acquainted with a car that Charles, for example, knew about. very good from the previous season. I realized that I should do everything possible to adapt as soon as possible, but some doubts naturally arise: how long will it take me to get acquainted with my new reality? How long will it take me to be as fast as Charles? or when will I be faster than Charles? When you don’t have the answers, there are days when you feel capable of doing it and others when you have some doubts. In the end, however, I always try to focus on what I can do: spend as many days as possible in the simulator and in the factory, “he added about it.
His relationship with Leclerc
Sixteen races later, the Spaniard has added half a point more than his teammate, and has been on the podium three times for one of the Monegasque. Even so, their relationship is good, as he stated: “I think it is one of the key aspects to be able to achieve the objectives we have, it is essential that a team can count on a good relationship between two riders who make the most of themselves, leading the team in the same direction. From my experience and from what I have seen in Formula 1, this is one of the key ingredients for success, and both Charles and I are aware of it . He is a very tolerant guy and I immediately felt comfortable interacting with him , I already knew him a little and this was useful to be able to get along immediately, we hope to continue like this. We know that the number one priority is the team, so we have to take the car as high as possible and respect each other. I do not find it difficult, at the moment I do not feel a challenge, but obviously what is at stake is not yet the highest , that is, a world championship. It is normal that in that case everything can get a little more tense , but if there is mutual respect like today, I think everything will be much easier ”.
“ There are many examples of relationships between drivers that started out very well and then fell apart as the stakes increased . But my intention is always to maintain respect, although I cannot foresee the future. So far, considering the way Charles and I are behaving, I think there is very little chance of things going wrong, especially at Ferrari . We know what the priorities are and we will try to take them into account ”, commented Carlos Sainz when asked if what happened to Hamilton and Rosberg could happen to them.
Finally, the Madrilenian spoke about the media pressure to which he is being subjected in recent months. “ A little news, when Ferrari is involved, it can become big news , it happens often in Italy, and it is something that I am learning to drive . It means understanding that how you say certain things also counts. There are ways that are better than others, and if you’re wrong, you might make room for a great headline. I am learning to manage these aspects. It is not easy at all ”, concluded Carlos Sainz.
