Sainz: “I pushed Leclerc, Norris and Verstappen to the limit” | FormulaPassion.it

The career of Carlos Sainz in motoring he was pushed by Red Bull, which included him in its youth academy as early as 2010, when he was just 16 years old. Three seasons later he took him to Formula 1, putting him in Toro Rosso alongside Max Verstappen, for the most classic of direct clashes for the passage to the official team, according to the scheme now tested by Helmut Marko. And when the possibility of replacing the disappointing Daniil Kvyat in Red Bull emerged in 2016, the Austrian chose the Dutch driver, closing Sainz’s prospects in a sort of dead end. But the Spaniard did not lose heart and chose to leave the Red Bull ‘protection’, moving first to Renault (where he raced alongside Nico Hulkenberg) and then to McLaren, finding himself in the Lando Norris garage. This year the transfer to Ferrari, where he is confronting another rising star in the category, Charles Leclerc. In short, not an easy path with Sainz, always struggling with rather uncomfortable teammates, but with whom he has always managed to establish a more than positive relationship.

“If you sign with Ferrari, it means you must have done something good in your career“, Observed the son of art, adding:”I have always felt appreciated by every team, even after I have left them“. Sainz then expressed his dissatisfaction with feeling a little underestimated by the media and fans: “When the audience thinks I’m in the shadows, I wonder why. Regardless of my teammate, from Max to Nico, from Lando to Charles, I never had the feeling of being slower than them or not being able to do what they do ”.

Proudly, Sainz claimed his results: “I beat them all and always pushed them to the limit. And I see this as a recognition because also in my opinion Max, Lando and Charles are among the best drivers on the grid. I like the challenge of racing against them and that has made me a better driver. And I had the confidence to think that I can take on anyone when I joined Ferrari. If I integrate well with the team and manage to do a good set-up on the car, I don’t have to be afraid of anyone“, Explained the Spaniard to Auto, Motor und Sport.

FP | Stefano Ollanu

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED