Former Ferrari charger Jean Alesi says Carlos Sainz is not unlike F1 legend Alain Prost, a driver who often went unnoticed in qualifying only to come into his own on race day.
Next Sunday, Sainz will fulfill a childhood dream when he makes his race debut with Ferrari alongside incumbent Charles Leclerc.
The 26-year-old Spaniard and former McLaren driver is expected to need a few races to get up to speed with his new teams. But Alesi has been impressed so far with Sainz's development as a driver and sees shades of Prost in the Scuderia's recruit.
"I’m crazy about Charles and I’m crazy about Carlos because he’s grown a lot over the years and he’s done it in the right way," Alesi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"He’s been through a lot of phases but he’s never complained, he’s never made a fuss. I’m sure he will continue in this way, doing good things for Ferrari and good things for himself."
Alesi referenced Prost's approach that consisted in focusing on setting up his car for race day in order to profit from any opportunity that would come his way.
And the Frenchman believes Sainz shares a similar process and ability to make the most of his and his car's potential on race day.
"His main characteristic is he knows how to finalise his work in the best possible way," explained the 1995 Canadian GP winner. "He is someone who does everything step by step, structuring the weekend with a view to growth.
"If he sets the fifth fastest time in qualifying on Saturday, you have to expect him to be on the podium on Sunday.
"In this sense he reminds me a lot of Alain Prost who, regardless of the car, did the following: on Friday and Saturday you might not notice him so much, but then he knew how to take advantage of any opportunity the race offered him. And he optimised the result. Sainz is like that, a finaliser.
"A concrete man who thinks a lot and well. And with these qualities he will become a benchmark and a stimulus for Leclerc."
Alesi believes Leclerc, who will embark this week on his fourth season in F1, will have a strong intra-team rival to contend with, which could imply a change for the Monegasque.
“I wouldn’t see it so much in terms of the annoyance Carlos might give Charles because they both have to think in terms of reconstruction at Ferrari and because Leclerc has already had very strong team-mates, he knows how to handle pressure and internal competition," argued Alesi.
"I don’t think there will be a first and second driver. But it is true that something will change for Leclerc compared to last year – he can no longer think of having justifications due to the fact he is young. That’s all over now.
"On the other hand, he will have a team-mate like Sainz who makes very few mistakes. In fact, he makes practically no mistakes at all."
Alesi says he's been picking up positive vibes from inside the Ferrari camp about the team's SF21, but the Frenchman believes Mercedes and Red Bull will remain out of reach while McLaren and Aston Martin look set to be the Scuderia's toughest opposition in F1's midfield.
"I think it will be a balanced championship," he said. "Maybe Mercedes now have some problems to solve, but they have shown every time they always know how to do it.
"So Lewis Hamilton has everything to win again, even if Red Bull is okay and this year Max Verstappen will for the first time feel he has the car to compete.
"Behind themthe Mercedes-powered McLaren will be strong and Aston Martin will at least do as well as last year. And then there’s Ferrari.
"The tests suggest they have improved, the engine has more horsepower. It’s not so much the times that say that, as much the optimism of some voices I’ve heard and especially the times from Alfa Romeo. But against McLaren and Aston Martin it won’t be easy."
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