Sainz refuses to set deadline for Ferrari comfort

Carlos Sainz believes there is 'no rule of thumb' dictating the length of time it takes a driver to adapt to new surroundings given his change of teams from McLaren to Ferrari.

Sainz was one of four drivers who moved over the winter, with three rookies and the returning Fernando Alonso adding to those looking to get comfortable in new teams.

Alonso expects to be close to 100 per cent with Alpine after two or three races, while Sergio Perez has suggested it may take him four or five races to be fully immersed at Red Bull.

Sainz, who previously moved teams ahead of the 2019 season from Renault to McLaren, does not feel there is an exact science to getting up to speed.

"I think it does help to have the experience of changing teams so often," said Sainz. "What I can say is that it is not a rule of thumb.

"It is not three races, it is not five or seven. It really depends on the car, on the first feeling of the driver with the car and those first experiences in the first few races.

"I am sure that in race one, you are never as ready as you are in the second or third year in a car or team. At the same time, if the feeling with the car is good, you can still perform at a really high level."

On his Ferrari debut, Sainz scored four points for finishing eighth but said he was "underdriving" to avoid making "stupid mistakes".

For now, Sainz has yet to push the SF21 to its limit as he strives to ensure he feels comfortable with, understands and trusts the car.

"It is very difficult to know how long it will take for every driver," added Sainz.

"There have been teams where it took me one or two races, other teams it took definitely longer than that, so it is difficult to tell.

"Until I do those first few races, I will not be able to tell until I have taken it closer to the limit of the car and the team."

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