Is Carlos Sainz sinking or swimming in his new seat at Ferrari?

It is obvious that Carlos Sainz did very well last year whilst at McLaren alongside his ex-teammate Lando Norris and it is also amazing to see that he is maintaining his pace and determination in his new car with his new team, Scuderia Ferrari. The 2020 Ferrari was heavily criticised for being slower and increasingly inept and more often than not they were referred to as 'tractors,' forcing Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc to continuously fight for their spots in the points. However, Sainz has managed to maintain his focus and pull through with a place of 7th in the current 2021 Driver's Standings - only one place away from his finishing position of 6th with McLaren last season. However, will this motivation and progress continue with Ferrari, or is it just a lucky beginning to what could be an inevitably underwhelming season for Sainz and Ferrari?

Sainz fighting for points around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

It is obvious that Sainz has been pushing hard around the tracks throughout the 2021 season and that his relationship with his new Ferrari SF21 is strengthening. Although he had a slip at Portimão by achieving 11th, he massively regained his pace at Monaco, claiming 2nd and a place on the podium next to ex-teammates Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, a strong group of competitors for challenging 7 time world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

In an interview between Sainz and Formula One Senior Writer, Lawrence Barretto on the 3rd June 2021, Sainz described the increasing strength of his relationship with the team and how that was allowing him to be successful and motivated for the upcoming races in the season. It was obvious that he was still buzzing from his podium at Monaco, however his attitude was in some ways, dismissive of his near victory, saying "it doesn't matter if it's a good or a bad result, you always want to put it behind quickly." It is clear that Ferrari are pushing Sainz a lot, especially after their disaster of a season last year, and that Carlos might be their key to picking up the pieces for the 2021 calendar.

Throughout the interview Sainz described his relationship with Ferrari as strong and that his bond with his new teammate Leclerc is forging more every day, highlighting several times that the pair, particularly Charles, had been through a "bumpy ride" recently, and that they have both fought through it together, despite the challenges. In spite of this, he elaborated on the fact that both drivers like the plane rides to the races (though Leclerc does seem to have a fear of turbulence which was displayed in a recent video on the internet) and that they bond further over games of cards and chess and that this pushes them to be increasingly competitive on the track whilst also maintaining the fun and the friendship along side it. Sainz briefly mentioned the importance of this relationship and how it was helping him grow in Ferrari and that it is "healthy to keep that balance" of fun and hard work, though overall he seemed pleased with his position within the team and the season's outcomes.

Carlos Sainz at his podium in Monte Carlo, Monaco 2021

On the other hand, he described how Ferrari was a lot more serious in comparison with Norris and McLaren and that the atmosphere is a lot more active, making him a "busy man" with "lots of things to do." He also revealed that there are a lot more important commitments and that he has to be at events and conferences on time, noting that it is a lot less laid-back than his former team, though this is understandable from such a prestigious and well-known company. It is obvious that Carlos might not have as strong a bond with Ferrari as he did with Lando Norris, as Norris' rookie season in 2019 seemed to bring them together greatly, however, if he keeps up the pace he is at and even pushes further we could see a very strong team for the foreseeable future at Ferrari.

Although the interview was short, it is obvious that Sainz has settled into both the team and the car nicely and it is very possible that he could have a very productive and successful season ahead of him.