Carlos Sainz insists he hasn’t signed up to be No.2 to Charles Leclerc at Ferrari from next season.
The Scuderia’s decision to choose the Spaniard as Sebastian Vettel’s replacement drew a mixed response, with some seeing it as a clear indication of Ferrari putting their eggs in the Monegasque’s basket, while others suggest Sainz could upset the apple cart.
Regardless of the pundits, the current McLaren driver has made it clear he will go to Maranello and try and achieve the most he can.
“I have not signed anything that says I’m the second driver,” Sainz said in a recent interview on Radio Marca.
“In my contract it says, as in all those I have signed, that the team is above the driver, but does not put anything about second place or supporting anyone.
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“What I know is that I will give everything for Ferrari and I will give everything they need, especially to try to win,” he added.
“I do not care about the colour of the car. I treat all drivers equally, we are all rivals and we must go for all. If there is a complicated situation, I would make the right decision, don’t worry.”
According to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, however, a source within the Italian team has claimed Leclerc will be very much their focus in the fight against Mercedes and Red Bull.
“In the future we will play 4-4-1-1 instead of 4-4-2,” they said, using a football formation analogy.
“If Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had been driving in the same team again in 2017, it could have backfired on Mercedes.
“We had a car that was good enough to benefit from it.”
What may support the belief that Leclerc will be Ferrari’s new No.1 is the trouble that arose from giving he and Vettel equal status last year, with several flashpoints including the clash in Brazil.
Speaking to Sky Sports though, former driver Jean Alesi believes Ferrari have got it right to choose youth, with Sainz and Leclerc set to be the youngest line-up in red since the 1960s.
“They have two young kids, they have two professional drivers. Carlos, I understand, is a very hard worker and he has the experience with McLaren and Renault. He is coming from very experienced teams,” he said.
“So for the management, it’s going to be easier to control these two drivers. When you have a world champion, when you have a charismatic driver, it’s very tough to make him soft.”