Sainz: 'He's one of the greatest, if not the greatest, in F1 today'
- GPblog.com
Carlos Sainz saw his dream of joining Ferrari come true this season. The Spaniard is now incredibly in his seventh season in Formula 1 and has previously driven for Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren. He has always made a good impression and at Ferrari he has already slotted in well.
Sainz and Leclerc evenly matched
When it was announced that Sainz would be the new teammate of Charles Leclerc, the absolute crown prince of Ferrari, it was doubtful whether he would be able to match the Monegasque. However, now it can be concluded that the two are very much evenly matched. In the championship ,the Ferrari drivers are sixth and seventh and Leclerc has only 6.5 points more than Sainz.
Where Leclerc does score better is in qualifying. In the mutual qualifying duel, it is 13-7 in his favour. Moreover, the Monegasque scored pole position twice in Monaco and Azerbaijan. Sainz must therefore acknowledge that Leclerc is hard to beat in qualifying. "I think Charles is the best driver in qualifying," he said at Formula Passion. "He is one of the greatest, if not the greatest in Formula 1 today. There's probably nobody more talented than him on a dry lap."
Sainz enjoys the challenge
According to Sainz, Leclerc is performing at a very high level. "I'm not just talking about his speed, but also the fact that he has a very good work ethic. He is good at working with the team and, to be honest, he has many strengths that make him such a strong driver. It's a challenge I enjoy."