Sainz looks surprised at discussion: 'When I said it, nobody believed it'

Carlos Sainz switched teams in the run-up to 2021, but that's nothing new for Sainz, who already has four teams on his CV. Still, it wasn't always a bed of roses for the Spaniard, who went through a rough patch at Renault.

Confidence of Sainz

Sainz has a long contract with Ferrari and therefore has security. That certainty was a good thing for him at McLaren, because after uncertain periods at Toro Rosso and Renault, Sainz started to doubt himself. The environment at McLaren was perfect for him, where he was really appreciated.

''One thing I discovered at McLaren is what a difference it makes for an athlete to perform in an atmosphere and in a team where they appreciate your value, where they give you the importance and the perfect environment to perform at the highest level, psychologically but also technically,'' the Ferrari driver told the BBC.

New to F1

It didn't always feel that way for Sainz, who had to prove himself every year at Toro Rosso, and didn't really get the confidence at Renault either. ''Rumours started about Ricciardo coming to Renault, Ocon, and I wasn't in a good place. I didn't feel as liked or as wanted,'' says Sainz. This year there has been a lot of talk of drivers having to get used to their new team, but Sainz seems to be coping more easily.

''I had to adapt to a new team after three years with Toro Rosso but that year no one was talking about adapting to new teams. It feels like this is the new thing now because five drivers have changed teams, but back in 2019 no one heard about the challenge of changing teams and I was, like, putting my hand up and saying: 'Guys, this takes time and I'm going to need time to perform my best.' But no one was buying the story. Now it looks like more people are buying the story, which is true,'' the Spaniard concludes.