So the cat is out of the bag, the worst kept secret of the past few days is confirmed, Carlos Sainz is a Ferrari driver from 2021.
Following the sudden announcement of Sebastian Vettel’s departure on Tuesday, it is remarkable the speed with which the Italian team has swooped in to secure the Spaniard’s signature and it isn’t surprising, after all, the second-generation driver was one of the hottest commodities on the grid after finishing sixth in last year’s championship for McLaren.
Sainz is pretty much everything Ferrari needed in a replacement for Seb, he’s young, has solid F1 experience, strong technical nous, is cheap and, most importantly, can back up Charles Leclerc nicely.
Perhaps after the inconsistencies of Vettel over the past two years too, a reliable, consistent driver is exactly what the doctor ordered, no need for heroics or the spectacular, just someone who can deliver results.
At this point then, you might have gathered I don’t consider Sainz a world-beater.
Sure, last year he was impressive and deserved his podium in Brazil, but McLaren was largely unchallenged in leading the midfield and it was his experience alongside Lando Norris that really showed, particularly on Sundays.
For me, 2020 was meant to be the season that signalled if Carlos was really taking that step towards future F1 champion status and if he was as good as last year suggested.
Could he keep a developing Lando at bay? Could he overcome the renewed midfield challenges from the likes of Racing Point, Renault and others?
They were some of the questions that needed answers, but with no races so far, we still have nothing to go on.
So while many consider Sainz a safe option for Ferrari, actually there is some risk in choosing him over Daniel Ricciardo.
But F1 may not have to wait long to find out if the Scuderia got it right, thanks to the new regulations coming for 2022.
With the new budget cap next year, it has evened up the development playing field for well-positioned midfield teams like McLaren to potentially spring to the front if they can get the new technical rules right.
If that’s the case Ricciardo and Sainz could well be fighting it out on track for their respective new teams, giving us the most direct answer to if Ferrari ‘s decision was smart.
But there’s another way to measure their relative job performance, the performance of their teammates.
Right now, Leclerc is obviously ahead of Norris in terms of development, but in Ricciardo, the Briton now has one of the best drivers on the grid supporting him.
For sure, the Australian will also want to beat Lando – and there is a risk for him of another Max Verstappen-style scenario at Red Bull – but both will be pushing together towards the same goal of getting McLaren back to the front.
With Sainz, you feel like Leclerc will have to be more self-dependent to make the improvements he may have picked up from Vettel or Ricciardo.
Can he do that? Of course, but it’s just another small detail that makes you wonder why Ferrari didn’t take a little more time to consider their options.
Because if McLaren can join the top teams in regularly competing for wins and even championships, these few years now maybe crucial for Norris and his aspirations of beating Leclerc and Sainz further down the line.
Right now, the next generation of stars are finally making their presence felt in F1, whether it’s Charles, Lando, Max Verstappen and eventually George Russell.
Is Carlos a part of that? Right now we don’t really know, but where he’ll be in 2021, we shall soon find out.
