Carlos Sainz Jnr has dismissed suggestions by Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn that he might be having second thoughts about his planned move to Ferrari at the end of the season.
Brawn made the comments following Ferrari’s poor performance in last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, where its drivers finished 13th and 14th.Sainz insisted he “definitely” had no concerns about his decision to move to the team from McLaren at the end of the season. “I’m very comfortable with the decision I’ve taken and I have 100 percent confidence on Ferrari people on what they can do for the future,” he said.
“Let’s just remember that last year they were capable of doing seven pole positions. So it’s a team that I think knows how to produce very good cars.”
Sainz said he is more concerns about the problems he has encountered at McLaren this year. “What makes me nervous is to lose 20 points due to no fault of my own,” he said.
“That’s what really concerns me right now and what really makes me go to bed and think where the hell have I lost this amount of points and how is this happening to me?
“But no, I’m fully confident and ready to go for Ferrari next season, and I cannot be more excited.”
The track remains closed to spectators this weekend apart from a small number of medical staff invited by Ferrari to watch the race. Nonetheless Sainz said he “can already feel the excitement of the Tifosi” around Monza.
“The way that they’ve approached me whenever we leave the hotel in between the hotel and the car – which is not a long time, but somehow the Tifosi manage to find you and give you some good energy. That good energy that I’ve received this weekend, it’s already starting to make me feel like how exciting it’s going to be next year being part of such a team with such a history.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s ever a bad time to go to Ferrari. Going to Ferrari is such a unique experience and such a special place for a Formula 1 driver that I don’t think there’s ever going to be a bad time where you would say ‘I do not want to go to Ferrari’. You give me that option 100 times again, I will always say yes.”
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Chaitanya
4th September 2020, 8:23
Brawn’s comment might be originating from burned bridges in 2009.
SadF1fan
4th September 2020, 9:09
Why would Sainz regret it? He and his family can finally play the political games they have been playing at Toro Rosso that first year.
16mi (@16mi)
4th September 2020, 14:43
Can you elaborate? I’m genuinely curious.
Balue (@balue)
4th September 2020, 19:26
@16mi There was talk of bad blood between the drivers and dads. Probably has some merit too IMO https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.%27everyone-thinks-me-and-max-hate-each-other-and-thats-absolutely-not-the.o4eIErvfjMCIuwsSiuw8o.html
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
4th September 2020, 9:57
Ferrari have the advantage they are based within the European Union border, whereas Mercedes, McLaren, Racing Point / Aston Martin, Red Bull, and arguably Renault are based in the UK. If the UK and EU can’t sort out some sort of free trade agreement then complying with EU customs requirements may affect those latter teams.
anon
4th September 2020, 10:42
@drycrust it is more than that – Haas has a major base of operations in Banbury which helps to prepare the cars, and Toro Rosso’s main design centre is in the UK (Red Bull technologies) – they have some production facilities in Italy, but they are fairly heavily reliant on Red Bull producing parts for them. As for Renault, only the engine division is not in the UK (it’s at Viry Chatillion).
Even then, there is also the question of whether teams like Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, whilst not being based in the UK, might still be impacted to some degree if some of their suppliers are based in the UK (e.g. Mahle, which I think supplies all of the teams with pistons, has a facility in the UK that would be impacted).
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
4th September 2020, 20:25
Thanks for reminding me about Haas, I’d forgotten about them. I can just see cars not being present on the starting grid because spare parts were held up at EU customs. The only thing I can think of is for F1 to try and arrange some sort of guarantee of EU compliance so spare parts, and maybe even an entire team can travel through the border without delay.
Nunof
5th September 2020, 9:09
If some of the teams leave Britain completely it wouldn’t be too bad, actually it could be good for F1 to have some diversity. F1 is an international sport, it shouldn’t rely this much on a single region in the UK. Also, if F1 is suppose to be road relevant, the UK auto-industry is practically non-existent.
Gabriel (@gabf1)
4th September 2020, 10:13
To be honest, with a signed contract with Ferrari, he could hardly say anything different! He may well have other real thoughts, but he isn’t going to share them with us in public! A non-story this one, sadly.
John
4th September 2020, 10:33
He should be much more worried about being trounced by LeClerc than trundling around trying to get a couple of points.
Jere (@jerejj)
4th September 2020, 13:03
Indeed. Any driver would definitely say ‘yes’ to a Ferrari offer rather than the opposite regardless of the given situation.
pastaman (@)
4th September 2020, 13:48
This whole thing has been editorialized