Carlos Sainz won't compare Ferrari out of respect to McLaren

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Sainz won't compare Ferrari out of respect to McLaren

Sainz joined Ferrari in the winter after a two-year stint with McLaren

Sam Hall

Thursday 4 March 2021 14:14

Carlos Sainz has refused to compare his new Ferrari machinery to that which he enjoyed at McLaren last year out of respect for his former team.

McLaren ended the 2020 season third in the constructors' championship behind only Mercedes and Red Bull, its best position since 2012.

Conversely, Ferrari hit a 40-year low as the Scuderia managed only sixth at the end of a year in which it was hampered by a woeful power unit.

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Although Sainz has already completed running in Ferrari's 2018 car at Fiorano. he refused to draw any comparisons when asked how the car varied those he drove with McLaren.

“I never compare cars to other cars that I have driven," said Sainz.

"I have changed teams quite a few times recently and I have never come out in the media and compared the cars out of respect to the teams that I have been with and respect to my team because it is also a performance advantage to know and compare different cars. I don’t like speaking publicly about it."

Sainz, instead, spoke purely of his experience in the car, one which took Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen to a combined six grands prix wins as the pair finished second and third respectively in the standings.

“What I can tell you is the 2018 Ferrari Formula 1 car is a very good car and it is a car that impressed me straight away out of the garage in Fiorano," added Sainz.

"I enjoyed it a lot because it allowed me to feel a Formula 1 car again after a couple of months of stop. The balance, the power, the driveability, it was quite impressive.

"I remember in 2018 looking at how good that Ferrari was, looking at the onboards and immediately, as soon as I jumped in the car, I could feel why that car was so successful in 2018 and why it took so many pole positions and wins.

“I definitely enjoyed it and Fiorano was a great day for me just to feel that on my first day as a Ferrari Formula 1 driver.”