F1 | Sainz outlines his goal: "I want to bring Ferrari back to the top and win the title"

This morning Carlos Sainz concluded his first day and a half of work on the track as a Ferrari driver. In fact, the Spaniard made his debut in red yesterday on the Fiorano track, driving the SF71H, the single-seater used by Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen in the 2018 season.

To get on board the latest creation in Maranello, the SF21 which will only be presented in conjunction with the start of the pre-season tests which will take place from 12 to 14 March on the Sakhir track, the new Cavallino standard bearer will still have to be patient but day after day he begins to become more and more familiar with the Ferrari universe.

While waiting to get back on track again, Sainz talked about his new professional adventure in the interview given to the volume Racing Activities and published exclusively by Ferrari on its website. We offer it to you in its full version.

What does joining Ferrari mean for you?

"When I was ten I went to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona and was lucky enough to meet one of my heroes, Michael Schumacher, and to visit the Ferrari garage: the atmosphere was simply unique, there is nothing like it. So, I think the easiest way to describe what being part of the Scuderia means to me is that a childhood dream comes true! Having said that, wearing the red suit and driving for this team represents much more: as a driver it is a great honor and a great responsibility that I can't wait to start and experience".

It is said that children always play with red cars: was this the case for you too?

"Very true! I had a lot of red toy cars and my first kart was all that color too. Today even the emoji that identifies racing cars on WhatsApp is red! Every driver and every fan knows what Scuderia Ferrari represents and even if you are not interested in motorsport or if you don't like cars at all, you recognize the brand and associate the color red with Ferrari".

What is your ambition as a Ferrari driver?

"From the first day I started racing karts I had only two goals in mind: to become a Formula 1 driver and win the world title. After achieving the first, all my energy and efforts are directed towards trying to achieve the second and there is no better place to achieve this than Ferrari. The ambition is to help create a winning team, bring the Scuderia back to the top, where it needs to be, and win the world title".

2020 was a tough year for your new team – what makes you think 2021 could be better?

"Every team goes through difficult moments, it's part of Formula 1, but what matters is the ability to react. History shows that teams that have won in the past are capable of becoming competitive again. The Scuderia is the most successful team in the history of our sport and there are valid reasons for this: if there is one on the grid that can return to the top, it is Ferrari. I have full faith in the project and even if it takes some time I am sure that, in the end, the team will win again. What is certain is that I will do everything possible to make this time as short as possible".

Together with Charles you will form the youngest driver duo in the Scuderia since 1968: is this an added incentive or responsibility?

"Honestly, I don't think age is that big of a factor. If anything, it's the experience that matters most in this sport. Obviously the older you are, the more experience you have accumulated but that doesn't mean you are necessarily faster: I'm only 26 years old but I already have six seasons in Formula 1 behind me and I drove for three teams before arriving at Ferrari. Charles is 23 but he will begin his fourth season, his third with the Scuderia: he knows the car and the reality of Maranello perfectly. What I want to say is that, despite being such a young couple, we are no longer rookies and we understand well what it means to drive for Ferrari. As I said previously, I am looking forward to taking on this responsibility in a positive way and I am sure that, together with Charles, we will be able to give the team further motivation, passion and desire to win".

What do you feel like saying to Ferrari fans in your first interview in red?

"To all the Red fans and the team I want to guarantee my total and absolute commitment. We share the same passion and they can rest assured that I will do all my best to make them proud. I will drive with all my heart in every race and work hard away from the track to help the team improve faster. I am also sure that we have in common the ambition to see Ferrari get back to where it needs to be and, with their support, I am convinced that we will achieve this sooner. It's a huge honor for me to race for the best fans in the world and I can't wait to get into the cockpit and race with them all.".