With Ferrari announcing that Sainz will be coming on board and coupling with Leclerc some have been quick to point out that he doesn’t have the skills to be a Ferrari driver. To them I say they are wrong and here are the 5 reasons why Sainz is the best choice for Ferrari.
- His age-
Sainz represents the future of Ferrari versus the past. F1 has been moving to a younger and younger set of drivers in recent years and the other options of keeping Vettel on or bringing Ricciardo would put Ferrari in a corner and keep them stuck waiting for the next development driver to step up.
Sainz is only 26 meaning he has a large portion of his career left ahead of them and this gives Ferrari an opportunity to groom someone such as Mick Schumacher until they believe he is truly ready whether that takes 2 or 10 years.
- Consistency is key-
After a rough start Sainz hit the ground running and always hung around the top of the midfield. To win a constructors championship it not only takes the flashy winner which is Leclerc, but also a solid number 2 driver who gets consistent points, but can also challenge and win races.
- Salary savings-
F1 is trying to introduce a salary cap of $175 million per team and with Ferrari spending of upwards of $400 million they need to cut back in certain areas. One area is the drivers where the top drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo make $20 million a pay cut which the younger driver would take helps the team tremendously.
- Chemistry!!!-
Look at Mclaren this year, they succeeded because the duo of Sainz and Norris work so well together on and off the track. Carlos is not one to attempt to be the alpha male in a series filled with them instead he waits and becomes friends with his teammates and opponents which helps improve morale in the garage which is needed to help win a championship.
- He’s not a pushover-
Anyone who counts him out of a race needs to look again because he has a blistering pace when needed. Look at Brazil last year he started on the grid dead last in 20th and took the car all the way to a podium.
The Mclaren was fast, but only enough to keep ahead of the midfield and taking a podium spot is a serious accomplishment.
Once he gets into a Ferrari his opponents better watch out from wherever he lines up as he will chase you down.
Photo Credit: Imago / PA Images
