Massa predicts a great future for Sainz: ''He can become world champion''

Carlos Sainz leaves McLaren at the end of 2020 to join Ferrari in 2021. However, the question si for which role the Spaniard has signed? Is he the equal of Charles Leclerc, or the new number two?

World Championship for Sainz?

Ferrari has an illustrious history when it comes to second drivers. Toppers such as Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso were always accompanied by a second driver who had to make way for the big man at his time. One person who knows everything about this is former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa.

''Sainz Senior is of course a great personality and he has a son who will leave his mark on Formula 1. Sainz has already had a great start in F1 and has proven to be able to take the next step. In my opinion he can become world champion with Ferrari, but then you depend on the team'', says Massa who was world champion for a few seconds in 2008.

The pressure from Ferrari

However, Massa says it won't be easy for Sainz. ''There's more pressure at Ferrari than on any other team. He'll have to show how much he's worth in his first year. He has a lot of talent, but that still has to come out," says the man who was often the second violin at the time of Schumacher and Alonso.

''Respect within the team is the most important thing. As a team you have to show that you don't have number one and two, but that they have to fight it out on the court. Leclerc also came in 2019 as number two, but has shown on the track that he can win. That's what Sainz also has to do'', concludes Massa in the podcast Carousel Deportivo.