Every year without fail, F1 drivers and teams are under a whole lot of stress. It’s F1’s “silly season” where teams vye for the best driver to join their team and get existing ones to renew their contract. This year, it’s gotten a whole lot crazier.
With no races taking place because of the pandemic, F1 fans are starved for racing content and are completely invested in the driver market. Sebastian Vettel is leaving Ferrari after five years which means drivers are now trying to get that coveted spot at the Italian team to partner with Charles Leclerc. Scuderia Ferrari has also made a decision and has announced that Carlos Sainz will be joining their ranks.
Further cementing this rumour is the fact that Daniel Ricciardo has been announced as the new driver for McLaren in 2021, He will be joining the British team alongside Lando Norris.
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, commented:
“Signing Daniel is another step forward in our long-term plan and will bring an exciting new dimension to the team, alongside Lando. This is good news for our team, partners and of course our fans.
“I also want to pay tribute to Carlos for the excellent job he has been doing for McLaren in helping our performance recovery plan. He is a real team player and we wish him well for his future beyond McLaren.”
BBC reports that Sainz had been in negotiations to stay with McLaren beyond 2020 but the appeal of joining a top team has convinced him to move.
Ferrari made the announcement earlier today that the Spaniard is infact moving to the Italian team. He will drive for the team in the 2021 and 2022 seasons of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Sainz is the son of multiple world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr who recently won the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia this year. He began his career with Toro Rosso before switching to Renault in 2017 and then McLaren last year.
