Sainz happy to be paired with ’best’ drivers

Carlos Sainz says he is happy rather than intimidated at the thought of being paired with a driver of Charles Leclerc’s calibre at Ferrari next year.

The Spaniard, who has been signed to replace Sebastian Vettel for 2021, says he has always dreamed of being paired with "the best" drivers.

"It is a curiosity I have had since I was 10 years old," Sainz is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"To learn the secrets of the strongest drivers, look at their telemetry, understand how strong the best are up close, understand what they do to be so fast by observing the data. Maybe to learn by copying something or improving something else," he added.

Sainz, 25, also hit back at the notion that, given the departure of quadruple world champion Vettel, he has been signed as a de-facto ’number 2’ driver for the hotly rated Leclerc.

"The goal of my career is definitely to win the world championship," he insisted.

During the corona crisis, Sainz took delivery of a state of the art home simulator, but he says he is not as hooked on the technology as some others.

"I like it, but I don’t apply myself to it like my other colleagues like Lando Norris and Max Verstappen," he said.

"I have the simulator to train, I enjoy it when I use it and I have improved during quarantine, but I also prefer to do other outdoor sports."