Sainz sees through Mercedes' 'annual game'

Mercedes indicated several times in the recent period that Ferrari stands out positively during the test days. It creates extra pressure on the side of the Italian racing stable, but Carlos Sainz will not let it be imposed easily. That he tells Formule1.nl.

The Spaniard gained a lot of experience in Formula 1 in recent years and now knows how psychological warfare works. Whereas Mercedes won several world titles in previous seasons, the Germans continued to put the pressure on the competition in the preseason. However, during the first race Mercedes then proved to be competitive after all.

Sainz has seen this process play out several times and is therefore not upset by the compliments towards Ferrari. Although he has faith in the qualities of his own ,team, he also knows that Mercedes could be the strongest again next weekend in Bahrain.

Sainz hopes for championship chances for Ferrari

The driver stresses that it is difficult to estimate where Ferrari stands compared to the other teams. According to him it is therefore important to focus mainly on his own qualities and to ensure that he starts as strong as possible, after which it should become clear whether this is sufficient to fight for the world title.