Sainz: "With him as a teammate you know you get everything out of the car"

When Ferrari announced that they would be placing Carlos Sainz alongside young star driver Charles Leclerc in the 2021 car, many expected Leclerc to be the undisputed frontrunner. However, Sainz quickly proved he had more to offer and was a match for his new teammate.

Around halfway through the current Formula 1 season, the Ferrari drivers have been more or less tied when it comes to qualifying results. Leclerc is sixth with 152 points, but only 6.5 points ahead of his teammate.

Sainz himself sees his teammate as a good reference point. "With a teammate like Charles as a reference you know you are getting the maximum out of the car every weekend," said the Spaniard in conversation with The Race. "That's how I know that if I'm a little bit ahead all weekend, I have to be close to the limit."

For him, the breakthrough came in Mexico, which he says felt like his 'first real race weekend' for Ferrari. "Mexico was a weekend where I immediately felt comfortable in the car and where I changed my driving style during the race to adapt to tyre wear," Sainz said.