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Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says he'll conduct a full review of Carlos Sainz's 2021 campaign during F1's winter break as well as assess the Spaniard's future with the Scuderia.
Sainz concluded his first season with Ferrari with an impressive third place finish in Abu Dhabi, a result that marked his fourth podium with the Italian outfit and that helped him outscore teammate Charles Leclerc in the Drivers' standings.
Overall, Sainz - who is on a two-year contract with Ferrari - put together this year his best season so far in Formula 1. And his accomplishments as well as his overall development as a driver were not lost on Binotto.
"I think Carlos did a great year," said the Scuderia chief. "When we signed a year ago, we said that winter time, [is] the right moment to sit down and have a review of the season.
"That is something we will certainly do during the winter.
"There will be certainly a review altogether, and of the season itself, and we’ll start discussing what can be our future."
Binotto said that he had brought Sainz onboard at Ferrari for him to form a solid and consistent duo with Leclerc, and the Swiss engineer believes he got exactly what he was looking for.
"When we signed with Carlos, the objective was to have two good drivers that were good racers, consistent and capable of scoring points for the team," Binotto said.
"I think it’s what we got this season. So I’m very proud of both of them. I think as I often said, we’ve got the best line-up in Formula 1, and I’m pretty happy with what Carlos did this season.
"Being his very first season with Ferrari, it was not straightforward and obvious.
"We signed with him because we said he is a good racer, consistent, always scoring good points. But I think he’s as well a good learner.
"During the season, he has improved, and I think that the end of the season is his best part of the entire season."
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