Carlos Sainz believes it was almost destiny for him to become a Ferrari driver in Formula 1.
The Scuderia is the fourth team Sainz has driven for since debuting with Toro Rosso back in 2015, before going on to have stints with Renault and McLaren.
However, throughout that time, the Spaniard admits there has been a connection to Ferrari which has always been different to the rest.
“I have always pictured myself as a Ferrari driver,” he told The Race.
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“Since I joined Toro Rosso and I saw how well I was getting on with Italian guys there and those three years were very nice for me there and very successful.
“Since then, I don’t know why, even without knowing anyone in Ferrari, every time I saw a Ferrari mechanic I would have a conversation with them.
“I just felt close. I don’t know why. It’s a strange feeling. It’s always been like that.”
Last year, the decision to replace Sebastian Vettel finally provided Sainz with that opportunity and so far, the honeymoon period continues.
“It’s Italy’s national team. It’s a huge culture and I’m enjoying it a lot,” he said.
“I’m Spanish and we have that kind of affinity with other Latin nationalities. With the Italians, I’m getting on very well and the Tifosi are being super nice to me.”
Despite a lack of pre-season testing, Sainz also enjoyed a solid first race in red, finishing eighth, and he expects to only get better.
“Overall it was a good weekend for me,” he reflected. “Maybe the result itself is nothing special, I think the pace over the weekend has been stronger than what the result shows.
“I was a bit on the back foot after the first few laps, probably taking a bit of a cautious approach into my first few laps with Ferrari. I just wanted to make sure I finished the race.
“Once I managed to clear two slower cars – the Aston and the Alpine – and I managed to get into clean air, I was actually very happy with the car. I felt like I could extract the race pace of the car and we were quick.
“There will be a time in the next 22 races to get a bit more aggressive at the start and to be a bit better in those first few laps.”