‘I see no reason why Sainz should fail at Ferrari'

Carlos Sainz will race for Ferrari next season, making a dream come true for the Spaniard. According to his former team boss in karts, Antonio Ferrari, Sainz has always been a stand-out performer.

Red Bull talent programma

Ferrari was quick to spot Sainz's talent. In 2010 he also worked as a talent scout for Red Bull's talent programme, for which he had to recommend two talents to Helmut Marko at the time. When he attended a race in the World Karting Championship, he was there for three drivers in particular. "My brother Alessandro, who was working as the international commissioner of the championship at the time, pointed out three names to me: Sainz, Daniil Kvyat and Nyck de Vries. I was going to look specifically at those three", Ferrari told La Gazzetta.

Impressive work ethic

Ferrari initially set its sights on De Vries. "At the time he won everything there was to win, but he didn't have time for me immediately. So I scratched that name out. Then I spoke to Sainz and his father and I was immediately impressed. The still young Sainz simply spoke fluent Italian. He thanked me for the opportunity I gave him and so he became part of the training." As well as Sainz, Kvyat also became part of the training programme.

Sainz immediately distinguished himself and won the Formula Renault 2.0 championship in 20211. However, his success on the track was not the only thing that set him apart. "His work ethic was impressive," says Ferrari. "To prepare Sainz and Kvyat for the races in the step-up classes, I sent them a list of ten questions every Monday before a race weekend. If they answered them correctly and on time, I would arrange an extra set of tyres for them. Sainz always responded on time and correctly. Kvyat, on the other hand, often had to send me a reminder on Friday that he still had to answer the questionnaire."

Fan of Sainz

Ferrari has always been a fan of Sainz and working with the Spaniard has also created a good friendship with his father - Carlos Sainz sr. "He is still a very good friend of mine. When I first met him I was impressed. He's a real legend in motorsport. I think that also helped a lot with his son's development. Like his father, he has dedicated his life to the sport. So I don't see any reason why he would fail at Ferrari."