Carlos Sainz is confident Ferrari can battle for the title but remains cautious about predicting Lewis Hamilton’s impact at the Scuderia.
Carlos Sainz believes Ferrari is ready to chase world titles. The new Williams F1 driver spoke during the presentation of the FW47, revealing that the progress made by the Scuderia seems sufficient to aim for the crown, which he would be inclined to attribute to Charles Leclerc—for a specific reason.
“We’ll see how everyone starts the year, but I remember telling everyone at Ferrari when I left that they were ready to fight for the championship and win a championship this year,” Sainz said.
“All the learning processes I’m going through with Williams—when I left Ferrari, the team was ready, perfectly set to go. I think of Charles because he’s the only one I know, and I don’t know Lewis personally, nor his driving, etc.”
Unfamiliar with Lewis Hamilton, Sainz avoids predicting the Briton’s fate this season: “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never been Lewis’s teammate, so I don’t know what he’s capable of. I’ve never seen his data.”
“As I said, I’ve seen Charles and I know how good he is, but I’ve never been Lewis’s teammate, and the only way to purely evaluate a driver is to be his teammate and see what he is capable of,” he continues, before acknowledging that he expects to see the seven-time world champion at his best if he adapts to Ferrari.
“When I look at the results, his career, and what he has achieved, I can only say there is a very strong chance he will be competitive at Ferrari. But, as with everything, it will all depend on his ability to adapt to a car, a team, and the moment when his teammate is performing.”
“There are so many variables that it’s impossible for me to predict, but I can only say that when I left Ferrari, I felt that both the team and Charles were ready to fight for the world championship. With Lewis joining, that chance can only increase.”
- Discover More>Hülkenberg: ‘I Adapt Like Verstappen’ in F1’s Changing Era
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates
Sainz: Ferrari Ready for Title Fight, Hamilton a Question Mark Sainz: Ferrari Ready for Title Fight, Hamilton a Question Mark
