Carlos Sainz has driven for four teams in Formula 1, starting with Toro Rosso (Alpha Tauri), then with Renault, later 2 years with McLaren and now for the most famous team in the sport, Ferrari. The Spaniard has said that moving to different teams in the paddock taught him an important lesson.
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The 26-year-old has worked well into the Maranello squad, scoring points in five of six races so far this season.
The most notable moment so far was at the Monaco Grand Prix, where he crossed the finish line in second and gave Scuderia their first podium of the season.
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Carlos Sainz says switching teams taught him a valuable lesson
As quoted by Motorsportweek.com, Sainz said, “When I first switched from Toro Rosso to Renault, I thought, ‘Well, okay, these two cars are completely different, but maybe this is an isolated incident.
“But then to switch from Renault to McLaren was completely different and then McLaren was completely different to Ferrari.”
He added, “It kept opening my eyes a little bit to see how different everything is from these four different teams and how much you have to adapt in that way.
Formula 1 F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 19, 2021 Ferraris Carlos Sainz Jr. during a press conference in front of the Monaco Grand Prix Pool via REUTERS / Sebastien Nogier
“I guess I’ve got a little practice being on four different teams in five or six different years, of course that gave me that awareness, but I would say it’s more of a detail.
“When I got to Renault, I was right at the pace at the first race in Austin. But I felt like I was missing the last two tenths of the toys, the diff maps, the engine braking and the last bit of driving style to get the last two tenths out.
“The same was true of McLaren and probably Ferrari,” concluded Sainz.
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How is Sainz doing compared to his teammate Leclerc
The Italian team formed a new partnership for the 2021 season, when Sebastian Vettel switched to Aston Martin, Sainz was brought to Charles Leclerc.
So far, both have scored crucial points for the team that is needed for the constructors’ championship. Sainz took his first podium with P2 in Monte Carlo, while Leclerc is still waiting to get to the top step this season.
Formula 1 F1 – Pre-Season Tests – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 14, 2021 Ferraris Carlos Sainz Jr. and Ferraris Charles Leclerc come to test REUTERS / Hamad I Mohammed
In the drivers’ championship, Leclerc is fifth with 52 points, ahead of his team-mate, while Sainz is seventh with 42 points.
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The season still has a long way to go, who do you think will prevail in this championship fight? Let us know in the comments below.
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The post Carlos Sainz explains what made the transition to Ferrari F1 easy first appeared on monter-une-startup.
