03/09/2020
NEWS STORY
Much like countryman Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz may well be on the verge of changing teams at the worst possible time.
While McLaren is on the ascendant, certainly since Andreas Seidl took the helm, Ferrari appears to be in the first stages of freefall.
Earlier this week, team boss, Mattia Binotto admitted that the various issues facing the team could take "many years" to resolve, which is not what any driver about to join the Maranello outfit wants to hear, while Ross Brawn has admitted that Sainz must be getting "nervous" as events at Maranello unfold.
Nonetheless, ahead of a Monza weekend at which the home team is likely to struggle, the Spaniard insists he has no regrets over deciding to join the Maranello outfit.
Asked if the team's poor performances of late have left him regretting the move, Sainz replied: "Definitely not, I'm really comfortable with the decision I've taken.
"I have 100 per cent confidence in Ferrari people in what they do for the future," he continued. "Let's just remember that last year they were capable of doing seven pole positions. So it's a team that I think knows how to produce very good cars.
"Honestly I don't think it's ever a bad time to go to Ferrari," he added. "I think coming to Ferrari is such a unique experience, and such a special place for a Formula 1 driver, that I don't think there's ever going to be a bad time where you say I do not want to go to Ferrari. If you give me that option 100 times again I will always say yes."
Prior to joining McLaren he was at Toro Rosso where he partnered Max Verstappen, and many feel that Red Bull made a major mistake when it subsequently failed to promote the Spaniard to the 'big team'.
Rather than looking at the future however, Sainz is currently more interested in the chances wasted this year, not least his failure to start last week's Belgian Grand Prix.
"What makes me nervous is to lose thirty points through no fault of my own and that's what concerns me right now," he said. "That's what makes me go to bed and think 'where the hell have I lost these amount of points and how is it happening to me'.
"But I'm fully confident and ready to go for Ferrari next season and I could not be more excited," he added.