Ferrari's Carlos Sainz endeared himself to the Tifosi this week at Fiorano when he went out of his way to salute a group of trackside supporters during testing.
A Ferrari driver of any status, new or old, knows that a good relationship with the Italian outfit goes hand in hand with a strong bond with Ferrari's most impassioned fans.
And Sainz didn't lose any time putting a few of the latter on his side during the Scuderia's week of testing at Fiorano.
On Wednesday afternoon, after the Spaniard had completed his initial day of running with Ferrari, he ventured out onto the track for an impromptu meet and greet, according to Instagram user 'seb_stopthecar'.
"We were 7 guys, sticked to the fence while watching Carlos pushing the SF71H to the limits in the circuit of Fiorano, pushed by the roaring V6 engine," the superfan wrote on Instagram.
"At 4 p.m. the session stopped and we were about to leave the circuit when we saw a small fire truck proceeding along the track and stopping in front of us.
"Carlos stepped out. We were astonished. He drove all the way long to greet a few fans outside the circuit, just to have a word with us! What a special and humble champion.
"Thank you Carlos, we will never forget this day❤️"
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The encounter obviously made the group of fans' day, perhaps even their year, while Sainz explained that he wanted to meet the group of fervent supporters after noticing a couple of banners during his laps earlier in the day.
"There were two banners," he said. "There was a banner 'Vamos Carlos', and a 'Smooth operator' banner.
"So people here in Italy and the tifosi already know my name and my preferences in terms of names. So that's a good start.
"At the end of the day, I had a chance to go and say hello to them.
"I got the car and went to say thanks to them for being here, supporting me on a very special day, and sharing with them a bit the passion and what a special day it was for me."
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