Carlos Sainz was doing extremely well with McLaren when he chose to jump ship to the Maranello-based outfit early on in 2020. Ferrari approached the Spaniard for his services for 2021 and beyond, as Sainz wasted no time and gave them a nod.

It was a rather tough decision to make as Ferrari have been trudging since the start of the 2020 season. On the other hand, McLaren have looked extremely positive about their growth in the sport since their downfall.

And it was quite evident as the British team were leading the mid-field battle and ultimately held onto it too.

What did Carlos Sainz say?

During an interview with AS, Sainz pointed out why he chose Ferrari over their former rivals, McLaren. “If you had asked me this question in 2007 when the two teams were fighting for World Cups, it would have been more difficult to answer,” he said.

During the 2000s, it was all about Ferrari and McLaren, as they dominated the front grid over that decade. Although the Italian giants commanded the sport through the first half, the latter half was all about McLaren. Renault, too, were partially a part of the heated battle.

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“But now, going back to March 2020, Ferrari had won races the previous year (3 in 2019). McLaren was in an upward progression. Very good. And it is still in an upward progression,” Sainz added.

“But for a team that wins races, makes pole positions, and, above all, which is Ferrari, nobody in the paddock would have done anything differently.”

There is no doubt when Ferrari knocks on the door: Sainz

Sainz clarified that it was the name, ‘Ferrari’, that tempted him to sign the contract.

“With all my respect and admiration for McLaren, which is the second-best team in history, when Ferrari knocks on the door, plus one that won in 2019, there is no doubt,” Sainz said.

From here on, his future could go either way, and it all depends on how Ferrari fight through their issues with the car, and it’s not going to happen before the 2021 season.

But it looks like 2022 could be the year when Ferrari mount a challenge to usurp their rivals, Mercedes. With two incredibly talented drivers in hand, can Ferrari find their way back to winning ways?