Carlos Sainz Jnr checks in at Ferrari for seat fitting

Ferrari’s latest F1 signing, Carlos Sainz, has paid his first visit to his new employer in Maranello, Italy.

The 26-year-old Spaniard, who joins Charles Leclerc at Scuderia Ferrari to form the youngest pairing for the Prancing Horse since 1968, arrived to have a first seat fitting to prepare for the 2021 season.

In the factory Sainz met some of the engineers and mechanics with whom he will be working, and at the end of the morning he was joined by Leclerc, also in Maranello for end of the season meetings.

The 2021 drivers also put in an appearance in a virtual lunch meeting for journalists, with Scuderia team principal and managing director Mattia Binotto.

Sainz Jnr, son of two times World Rally Champion winner Carlos Sainz Snr who is currently preparing to enter the 2021 Dakar Rally with the Mini X-Raid JCW Team, will be on the start grid for Ferrari when the lights go off during the first race in March 2021.  

He replaces four times world champion Sebastian Vettel, who hopes for a better season with the new Aston Martin team (formerly Racing Point) who have been showing good and competitive pace.

Sainz is also set to become the third Spaniard to race for the Scuderia, the other two being Fernando Alonso (2010 to 2014) and the Marquis Alfonso de Portago (1956 and 1957.) The Maranello company has also employed two Spanish test drivers, Pedro de la Rosa and Marc Gene, the latter still having links to the marque as an ambassador and tutor for drivers in the exclusive XX and F1 Clienti Programmes.

It is hoped the new season will see fortune favour the Italian outfit after a largely dismal 2020 marred by uncompetitive pace and a string of early retirements.