“He Would Not be Afraid”- Former F1 Driver Backs Carlos Sainz to Take on Charles Leclerc at Ferrari

Former Manor F1 driver Roberto Merhi recently spoke about compatriot Carlos Sainz Jr. He believes that the McLaren driver should push for a move to a top team, like Scuderia Ferrari. Merhi is also confident that his compatriot will relish the challenge of facing off against Charles Leclerc.

The 25-year old Spanish driver currently races for McLaren and some have tipped him to move to Scuderia Ferrari. Some reports claim that Ferrari are eyeing him in the event that Sebastian Vettel walks away from them or F1. However, the Spaniard insists that he is perfectly happy at McLaren, though he is flattered at the rumours.

Sainz’s contract with the Woking outfit expires at the end of this season. However, McLaren are keen on retain the Spaniard’s services for a while longer. Reportedly, McLaren have offered Sainz a new deal, though it is up to him to sign or wait for Sebastian Vettel to make a move.

Will Carlos Sainz head to Ferrari or stick with McLaren?

Ex Manor driver Roberto Merhi urged his compatriot to seize the moment and jump into the Ferrari seat, To be perfectly honest, it is not everyday that a top tier team like Ferrari opens its doors to anyone.

Speaking to Marca, Merhi said, “If I had the option to go to Ferrari, I would.”

Furthermore, he is sure that Sainz can battle Charles Leclerc if they become team-mates. Sainz has already partnered F1’s other young star, Max Verstappen, at Toro Rosso when they made their debuts.

Merhi said, “My opinion is that the best drivers on the grid today are [Lewis] Hamilton and Verstappen, and honestly, Carlos was able to keep up with Max. In qualifying and in the race he has the pace. Carlos, having already faced him, doing it against Leclerc would mean nothing to him, he would not be afraid.”

Interestingly, the 29-year old commented that even though McLaren is steadily improving, it may not be able to challenge for a title. He reason that its status as a customer team could be a massive stumbling block. This is especially considering that Mercedes will prioritise its factory team over customers.