There is a flurry of activities going on in the F1 teams post the separation of Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel failed to agree to a contract extension and won’t drive anymore for Ferrari in the F1 Championship in the 2021 season. With the departure of Vettel, Ferrari has begun their search for a new team-mate for Charles Leclerc. Ferrari has now signed Carlos Sainz to be their second driver, thus becoming the youngest driver in the last 50 years for Ferrari. Carlos Sainz is moving from McLaren after two seasons and he will be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo. The twin changes are a domino effect from Vettel's failure to agree to a deal with Ferrari.
Sainz, who earlier drove for Toro Rosso and Renault before moving to McLaren last year would see this as a magnificent opportunity to make a mark in the F1 world. Sainz is the son of two-time world Rally Champion Carlos Sainz Sr and had a good season with McLaren. He finished sixth with a maiden podium finish. Ferrari was looking at other drivers in the F1 but saw a good driver pedigree in Carlos Sainz.
Despite being in the F1 world for 5 years, Carlos Sainz got his multi-year contract for the first time in his career with McLaren. He began the season poorly with no points in his first 3 races before getting eight points in the next nine. Performing admirably in the first season alongside a rookie teammate in Lando Norris speaks volumes about the mental and physical aptitude of Sainz.
Racing for Ferrari comes with huge pressure, one just needs to ask Vettel who won 4 consecutive championships with Red Bull but failed to deliver for even once during his stint with Ferrari. It will be too much to ask Sainz to deliver success in his first season but if he is able to complement Leclerc, Ferrari might have a gem in hand.
With Sainz moving to Ferrari, a position opened up at McLaren and Ricciardo was signed up immediately. His announcement was done earlier before Ferrari gave the news about Sainz signing later. Ricciardo was rumoured to join Ferrari way back in 2016 but Vettel came there instead. Now, at the age of 30, he has got the big move to McLaren and a chance to fight for a title with the British team. In 2018, McLaren wanted him but he opted for Red Bull. Renault failed to deliver success and instead, MacLaren moved upwards which might have left him with regrets. With the season delayed, the McLaren offer might have been too tempting to refuse.
McLaren switching to a Mercedes engine might be the key factor considering the troubles Ricciardo faced with engines both in Red Bull and Renault. Ricciardo is a big name, a star with an engaging personality and proven talent making him an ideal choice for the British iconic team. Time will tell what will happen but the change in the teams makes 2021 an exciting season for F1 lovers.
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