Sainz on Leclerc as benchmark: "He is one of the strongest drivers on the grid"

Asked by Crash.net if he is looking forward to his partnership with Ferrari and Leclerc, Sainz says: “I’m looking forward to it, mainly because he’s probably one of the drivers on better form on the grid. You could argue he’s had a super strong season, he knows the team, he knows the car very well and he looks to be honestly on top of his game.”

Sainz continued: “With the combination of youth and experience that he has now, I think I’ll be up against the strongest, or definitely one of the strongest drivers on the grid. It will be a great benchmark for me. It will be great to have him as a benchmark and see how quickly I can get up to speed and keep helping the team to get better.” 

Starting on a disadvantage

The Spaniard also acknowledges that he may have a difficult start at the Scuderia, due to limited testing opportunities and the hectic nature of the revised calendar. Sainz: “I will obviously start with a bit of a disadvantage not knowing the car, having very little winter testing, having one-day-and-a-half to prepare the season. I will have a lot of catch up to do in the first half of the year, in the first races, as I get to know the team and the car.”