Sainz expresses respect: "Really appreciate him a lot"

Newcomer Carlos Sainz is in the same team as Charles Leclerc at Ferrari. The Spaniard has a lot of respect for the way his teammate has built his career and is expecting a lot from Leclerc.

The gap to Mercedes and Red Bull Racing still proved to be quite large in Bahrain, but Ferrari put in a steady race nonetheless. Lerclerc took sixth place in the opening weekend, while Sainz had to settle for P8. Next Sunday both drivers will have to show what Ferrari can do in Imola.

Sainz knows better than anyone what it's like to be in the same team as a great talent. In his years at Torro Rosso, Max Verstappen was his teammate. The Spanish driver has a lot of respect for Leclerc, he told Corriere della Sera. "He lost a friend, Jules Bianchi. And then his father. Since then he has only come back stronger."

Although the events certainly didn't leave him cold, Leclerc continued to perform and even made the switch to Sauber. There he impressed so much that he left for Ferrari. "I really appreciate him a lot", Sainz stressed. "I have therefore followed him closely throughout his career up until now."