F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Sainz never felt 'in the shadow' of F1 teammates

Carlos Sainz says he has never felt inferior to any of the talented drivers that have been his teammates in Formula 1, having raced alongside the brightest young talents in the sport.

Sainz debuted his F1 career at Toro Rosso along with fellow rookie and future 15-time Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen.

But the Ferrari charger has also been paired with McLaren's Lando Norris, while he currently measures up at the Scuderia to Charles Leclerc.

All three young drivers are seen as outstanding talents and world champions in the making. But Sainz, who has outscored Leclerc so far this season, hasn't received the same degree of acclaim.

The Spaniard admits he doesn't understand why F1 fans have often perceived him as being in the shadow of his peers.

©Ferrari

"If you sign a Ferrari contract, you must have done something right in your career," Sainz told Auto Motor und Sport.

"I’ve always felt appreciated by all the teams, from Toro Rosso to Renault to McLaren, even when I left them. If the public think I’m in the shadows there, I wonder why?

"No matter who I’ve raced against so far, whether it’s Max, Nico [Hulkenberg], Lando or Charles, I’ve never felt I was slower than them or couldn’t do something they can do.

"I’ve beaten them all and always pushed them to the limit. I see that as an accolade. Max, Lando and Charles are among the top guys in the field, even by my own estimation."

As the cream of the crop among F1's young drivers, all three drivers represented solid benchmarks that provided Sainz with the impetus to improve his skills and confidence.

"I like the challenge of racing against them and they have made me a better driver," said the 26-year-old.

"That also gave me the confidence that I could take on anyone when I joined Ferrari. If I integrate properly in the team and set up the car properly, I don’t have to be afraid of anyone."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Marko: ‘No chance at all’ for Red Bull in Las Vegas

Helmut Marko believes that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are unlikely to challenge for victory…

6 hours ago

GM revives bid to join F1 with accelerated talks for 2026 entry

Automotive giant General Motors is reportedly back in the game as a potential entrant in…

7 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Thursday's action in pictures

The opening day of running at the Las Vegas GP was a smooth but chilly…

9 hours ago

Williams' headaches persist into Vegas practice

Williams is continuing to fight uphill battles this weekend in Las Vegas as a knock-on…

10 hours ago

Ferrari's Sainz 'not satisfied with where we are' in Vegas

It was a solid start to the Las Vegas weekend for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz…

11 hours ago

Norris labels McLaren long-run pace ‘shocking’ in chilly Vegas

Lando Norris didn’t hold back in his assessment of McLaren’s performance on the opening day…

12 hours ago