Carlos Sainz Jnr’s performance this year demonstrates why Ferrari were so keen to sign him, says McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl.
Ferrari announced in May that Sainz will join them in place of Sebastian Vettel for the 2021 F1 season.Speaking after the Turkish Grand Prix, where Sainz climbed 10 places to finish fifth on a very slippery track, Seidl praised his driver’s ability to adapt to changeable conditions.
“He likes all of these tricky conditions, he likes wet or mixed races. We know that he performs well in these conditions and he has this talent to take the right approach in terms of risk. He manages to keep the car on-track while still making progress and making the moves stick.”
Seidl praised Sainz’s ability to corroborate what he was experiencing on the track with the team’s data, even in difficult circumstances.
“It’s simply a big benefit if you have a driver that has worked for some time with his engineer and his engineering team, because in conditions like today, you have a lot of communication ongoing between driver and the pit wall and there you see all the experience Carlos has.
“It’s important to stay brief on the radio, calm, but also clear about what’s going on out there, on the track, so that we can match this with the data we see on the pit wall and make the right decisions at the at the right time.”
Sainz trailled team mate Lando Norris in the championship earlier in the year but has caught and passed him, while helping McLaren to fourth place in the constructors’ standings.
“He’s a great driver,” said Seidl. “There’s a reason why Ferrari went after him for next year.
“I really like his approach, how he deals with this situation together with us, fully committed, very motivational for the entire team. And that’s key, I think, also for the results we are getting, everything at the moment.”
“I’m really looking forward to the last three races with him in our team,” Seidl added. “And then hopefully we beat him next year.”
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Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
26th November 2020, 8:37
I thought Sainz was a fair bit better last season, despite a rookie matching him in qualifying. This year, he’s had a fair bit of bad luck, but also had 2 races (Tuscany and Russia) with 2 very costly mistakes. In Tuscany, though basically many think the cause of a bad result for him was the chaotic restart when actually, he spun by himself to the back of the grid on the first lap which ruined his strategy. Then the following race in Russia was probably the most clumsy looking retirement of any driver this year. Practice should have given drivers a chance to learn the speed and angle you have to come back on track there. And drivers should learn it as it is very likely you will have to run wide, especially if you don’t start right at the top.
He also does have his strengths though such as certain wet races.
I think Sainz has been ok overall this year, but similar to Bottas, I think he could only be a number two driver at a top team.
TFLB (@tflb)
26th November 2020, 13:22
@thegianthogweed Tuscany wasn’t really a mistake – Stroll tapped his front wheel. Just an unlucky first lap incident that could have happened to anyone. Russia was daft, but on the whole he’s convincingly beaten Norris this year if you analyse the performances instead of the results – probably more convincingly than last year actually.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
26th November 2020, 16:14
@tflb
Fair enough about his performances in general, but disagree about tuscany. Drivers should be more aware of lack of grip on the first lap and given he had albon’s car close infront which will have caused a lack of downforce, he carried too much speed into the corner and that was what caused the tap into Stroll. He had more than a cars width (probably even 2 given the line some took) on his inside, so it simply was just too much speed. Virtually every other driver who had the opportunity to take the inside line went tighter than him. Stroll allowed him more than enough racing room.
I shouldn’t have said he spun on his own, but his misjudgement caused it.
TFLB (@tflb)
26th November 2020, 19:27
@thegianthogweed Oh, Sainz could probably have done it differently, but my point is it was a tiny misjudgement, the kind that people get away with 9 times out of 10 on the opening lap, not a massive mistake like Russia.
Mayrton
26th November 2020, 8:40
Not sure whether it is a compliment when Ferrari recruits you for their second seat. History tells us otherwise.
Balue (@balue)
26th November 2020, 9:56
Exactly
Andrey Baydin (@minilemm)
26th November 2020, 10:58
Well, depends, I think – maybe it doesn’t say “top shelf”, but I think it surely says “smart, reliable and faster than average”
And I think Ferrari aren’t as determined to assign and keep their driver roles as people sometimes make it out to be – remember how Lec was a no.2 so recently?
Balue (@balue)
26th November 2020, 18:45
@minilemm True about Leclerc, but that was when Ferrari had likely already decided he would be their no. 1, and had enough of Vettel.
They’ll soon revert to type is my guess.
#𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘵𝘢𝘨
26th November 2020, 10:32
But most recent history (Leclerc) tells us otherwise again ;)
Darren Moore
26th November 2020, 13:23
There’s only one team out there with a clear number 1 and 2 and that’s Mercedes.
Balue (@balue)
26th November 2020, 18:46
Which is why I think it even more likely Ferrari is going back to their trusty 1-2 setup
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
26th November 2020, 20:17
I think all Ferrari signings since their early 90s downfall are definitely not number 2 drivers and some of the better regarded drivers available, in the end all won races. Leclerc was an unsual choice but certainly a correct one. Sainz is a ferrari 93 choice.
Nitzo (@webtel)
26th November 2020, 8:55
Ferrari is demonstrating “why Sainz shouldn’t have signed with them”
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
26th November 2020, 20:14
Average driver, average team. Ferrari went for the name and the Estrella Galicia. No nightlife? Beer is all you got.
Norris is doing his usual bad season ending. Norris cannot expect to race long in f1 if he gets beaten by an avg driver. Mclaren were outraged in the meanwhile they signed Ricciardo so they are going to be even stronger.
Dave
26th November 2020, 12:23
Fans are demonstrating “why Ferrari are noobs right now”