I have to say I feel a bit sorry for Carlos Sainz Jr. Of course, being selected to join the Scuderia Ferrari is an honour many would die for (literally too). He will now be part of the most famous team in F1 history. It will be a turning point in his career and his life that won't come without sacrifices. It's Charles Lindbergh who said years after achieving the first crossing of the Atlantic by air: "I took off from America as an unknown flyer, but after I landed in Paris, my life was never mine again". It will be the same for Sainz Jr now that he will be entering the inner sanctum of F1. He will now be inside the biggest rumour mill in motor racing, and his life will stop belonging to him. That's the price to pay for driving a red car: you become part of the legend. Every word he will day will be reported, and commented upon. Every gesture will be interpreted, by an army of journalists. His every move will be scrutinised, every gearchange checked, every lap time analysed, compared and criticised. Journalists will try to extract informations from him, obtain judgement on his team, his partner and the opposition. He will be photographed to death, followed, and spied upon by the photographs, harrassed, even tricked to made comments for the pundits. The magazines with be courting him for articles, the media won't stop pitching him against his team mate, and his private life will be investigated too, same as his lifestyle, his wealth and all aspects of his life. When you drive for Ferrari, the tifosi think they own you, and the Italian press acts as if it really does. Welcome to Ferrari Carlos !!!
Yes minimal talent bur a strong name and sponsors. I could be wrong but I see him like a guy being consistent and being 3rd 4th every race, a good #2 but not with prestige so far for me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’m not sure what sport you are watching but I would recommend reviewing the season results for 2019. Sainz finished 6th in the standings behind lew, vett, leclerc, vers and bot. Ahead of both gasly and Albon who had far superior equipment for half the season and scoring nearly double the points of his team mate whom he comprehensively destroyed. He also recorded a podium. All whilst driving a piece of junk McLaren. His talent is undoubted and has been proven. He deserves his seat.
No need to be condescendent nor agressive. I think he has skills but is unproven, and is a big name. Been watching F1 since 1984 without missing. I would personally have wanted Ricciardo over him OR even Hamilton. More skills, more drama. more prestige. One decent season doesn't prove his talents but his potential surely. To quote the great aristotle: " Excellence does not consit in a single act but in a habit", will see if is a worthy of his seat like you said. Personally wont bother me if he is, im not associated with him nor will touch any penny he will get.
Agree...Whilst he scored many more points than Norris last year, it's not as clear cut as that as Norris lost a whole lot of points at various GP due to late retirements (renault strikes again). Even in his first season at STR he should've been a lot better as he had so many years of single seater experience already, compared to Verstappens single F3 season. I like sainz as a person, but this is a clear number 2 choice. Why not Hulkenberg then....much more experience? Leclerc is great but I also don't think he's completely ready to lead an F1 team, especially one as chaotic as Ferrari. I hope I'm wrong but I think Ferrari just signed up for another 5 years of completely hopelessness. Mclaren is a team really on the up now and when Merc leaves post 2021, can really get equal Mercedes engines. As a side note I think Mclaren will have a fantastic driver duo that will create an enormous amount of publicity and thus gain sponsors. My prediction for 2021: Mercedes and Red Bull to fight it out, Ferrari and Mclaren the clear #2 teams battling for 5th and 6th, hoping to pick up the final podium when it all goes wrong for mercedes/red bull. Post 2021 It'll be Red Bull team to beat and Ferrari/Mclaren battling it out for final podium place.
After one season in a front line car? Was Lewis a dominant #1 driver in his first season at Mclaren? Max was still driving in a Demo Derby--arguably he still is.
What teams are left standing let alone F1 itself? Impossible to predict anything in these most unpredictable times Bas.
I can understand where Riccardo fans are coming from, even though I disagree. Like you @subirg - I think Carlos is the perfect match and my personal choice. Riccardo, however, has many years of experience. I can see both sides of the coin. What's fun is we'll get to see how things turn out soon. Best to you all. P.S. Please keep in mind my disdain toward Vettel is in no way intended toward his fans. I know some will still think poorly of me, know I don't think the same of you if you love Vettel.
With Renault remaining very quiet on any announcement I wouldn't be completely surprised to see them gone in 2021. I would be surprised to see Mercedes gone in 2021, but likely 2022. The scarier thing is, what if Renault/Honda drop out of F1 completely. I imagine with no engine development they could actually sell their engines and retain a profit, but if engine development continues, it's only going to cost them money if they wish to remain competitive, and I can't see that going down well with the accountants. Surely, F1 must have some sort of ''doomsday'' scenario dreamed up in case engine manufacturers leave? I don't even think the 2.4 V8 brought back can be a realistic scenario unless F1 commits to 5 years of those, as it would force a significant re-design of the chassis. Because all these current engines are so hugely complicated, a team running Renault/Honda engines couldn't simply say ''I'll bolt in a Ferrari/Mercedes unit''....as the layouts are vastly different and it wouldn't be nearly as easy as Honda/Brawn 2009...(''a bit of lube and a large hammer''). The truly expensive/complicated bit is the MGU-H and associated items. But because of the way it's build, I'm not even sure if teams can then simply be told ''use conventional turbochargers (2x) on the current V6 and a simple KERS unit''. My guess would be sheer HOPE that teams could agree that zero development from that point forwards and that Honda/Renault/Mercedes could all keep supplying whoever they are and not lose money doing so, and then go back to an exciting engine 2 years down the line (give engineering companies/remaining manufacturers time to build an engine). No matter what everyone keeps saying ''give them a set of dimensions and tell them to go nuts'' is impossible financially speaking. We would simply have to go back to a ''spec'' engine era a la V8s...but hopefully a much more exciting engine formula. I'm still in favour of a V10/12 3.5 liter (so they aren't so gutless down low and have the most glorious sound) or the current V6 with twin conventional turbos added to it if I was forced a real compromise.
You are entitled to your opinion and for the sake of team SF let us hope you are right but one hot day doesnt make a summer. The Mclaren was a much improved car for the 19 season so it was inevitable he was going to score points, he didnt do so well against Hulkenberg in 2018. He now has 5 years in F! and so must be by its very nature an experienced F! driver. Likeable guy but i dont think he has the nuts to mix it up with the front runners. Best Tony PS - think of Murray Walker in the commentators box Here comes Sainz in the Ferrari catching the lead driver fast. or Here comes Hamilton in the Mercedes catching the lead driver fast. I know which one has the most impact on my pants!!
Dont you think the F! has brought it upon themselves, I seem to recall one prominent person who said this is the wrong path, but Mosley en all followed like lambs.
Absolutely correct. Their own fault. The FIA keeps thinking by following what 1 manufacturer wants, that it'll change the sport for the better and suddenly every car manufacturer is begging for an entry. How daft are they that they can't see the manufacturer only wants those rules for their own benefit? Why don't they ever call their bluff? What exactly is gained with keeping manufacturers in? In the V8 era, cosworth was making money building the (spec) V8 engine and supplying a couple of teams. If Merc/Renault got the huff and actually did leave the sport, a garagiste would've taken over, or perhaps we'd have lost one team (Mercedes). Merc would've happily stayed an engine supplier as it makes them money. The V6 was supposed to ease cost. It skyrocketed. Cosworth saw it from miles away, the cost to develop these engines would be impossible for them so they bowed out. Honda has spend stupid amounts of money. These engines are impossible to develop unless you're a manufacturer with billions of cash laying about. 18 million a year for 6 engines or whatever they're allowed. Cosworth engine back in the V8 era was roughly 150K. 1 every other weekend = 10 engines per season = 1.5m per season on engines. Can't even get one hybrid engine for that money. Cheaper. Lol. Something about wool, eyes, and fictional bridges for sale. Barr a few nerds that say these engines are so technologically exciting, 99% of F1 fans really do not care for these engines and definitely aren't getting more people interested in the sport. Certainly not at the rate people are leaving! An exciting, cheap engine together with the 2022 rules would set this sport on fire and finally Make F1 Great again.
There is. Less than 2 weeks ago, Jean Todt announced that if F1 was to falter, the FIA would run the World Drivers Championship under F2 rules. The FIA devised that scenario in case several teams would go bankrupt or simply leave after the 2020 season (if it starts!), following the Covid-19 outbreak. There are "contingency plans" at the ready, and none mentions a return to V10 atmospheric, I am sorry to say !
Working and winning at Ferrari is no place for the faint hearted. Prost found that out. Winning a WDC is even tougher.
+1 The FIA are not as smart as they like to think. Either that, or they really are just France International Assistance given their cosy Renault / Government relationship. FIA needs closer scrutiny, but who is going to do that ? Certainly not the French Government....
For the Sainz doubters, did you not watch last years races? He was clearly the class of the mid field. He was 6th in the standings with the worst engine. He was frequently as fast or faster then the second Red Bull in a clearly inferior package. I don’t think his results against Mad Max show the truth from back in his Minardi days. There was bad luck and massive bias from Helmut Marko and Fanz Tost as usual. I think the reason his relationship with Max was so bad was because Max knows he’s a real threat to him. I wish nothing but the best for LeCerc, but in a straight fight I know which red car I’m cheering for.
Next year, we will find out if Carlos is up to the task. Driving for Ferrari is not only about speed, as many have found out !!! The Scuderia is a very dysfunctional organisation that doesn' suit everyone.
Certainly. But F1 would be pretty dull without out the Ferrari drama. I probably wouldn't bother turning up to races if Ferrari kicked F1 out of its door.
I hope that Sainz beat Leclerc and shut up his critics, but history is history: - Was clearly defeated by Kyviat at GP3 - Was clearly defeated by Verstappen at Toro Rosso.
Come on: back to F1 core values: mandatory V12's with sidedraft Webers (sidedraft sound better, cf 365GTC/4)
Spot on analysis Bas. A very prominent person in Pirelli once told me "they sound like ****" He was right and for me it killed off F!, we can fantasize over what would have been but for me a screaming V12 at 15,000rpm was the pinnacle. Downhill from there. Cost cutting is just a paper excercise for the sport, it has no intention to reduce costs. The hybrid era may have been good for the top teams but it only benefited those who had the finance to invest in new technology, Mercedes wanted the new engine to develop new technology, it isnt going anywhere now so the product will be shelved in order to introduce new technical knowledge. The smaller teams just couldnt forward think and had to rely on the top teams to pass down their expertise, at a price and only when it suited them, a clear disadvantge for the small teams and a huge gain for the likes of Mercs and Ferrari. best tony
A good episode to watch is "Dogfight" on Netflix's Drive to Survive. I feel i got a nice feel for Carlos very good points, I'm rooting for the both of em!
