SAINZ TO TAKE VETTEL’S SEAT

Carlos Sainz Jr will replace Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari for the 2021 Formula 1 season, following an announcement on Thursday 14th May.

Ferrari confirmed earlier this week that the four-time world champion would be leaving at the end of 2020 following a breakdown in contractual talks.

Ferrari wasted no time in bagging his replacement, which suggests that discussions had been ongoing prior to the announcement of Vettel’s departure from the Scuderia.

The move will be seen as a key milestone in Sainz’s career, who has earned much respect during his driver apprenticeship with Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) and more recently with McLaren in 2019, scoring the team’s first podium in nearly six years at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

McLaren had already commenced early talks with Sainz over extending his current contract, which was due to expire at the end of the year.

Sainz’s move, could spark a flurry of activity up and down the pit lane as McLaren look to replace him. Daniel Ricciardo, who was also in the running for the seat at Ferrari, is now the favourite to become Lando Norris’ team mate with Vettel, currently without a drive, also linked to the vacant seat.

The appointment of Sainz will also end speculation that Lewis Hamilton had one eye on a move to Ferrari in 2021, and its expected that Mercedes will have an unchanged driver line-up for next season as a result.

Sainz’s career has been a steady trajectory to the top seat in Formula 1 since his debut for Red Bull’s junior team winning the Formula Renault title in 2014.

Promoted to a Formula 1 seat with Toro Rosso, Sainz proved his credentials leading the team after Max Verstappen moved over to Red Bull in 2016. He moved to Renault for the start of the 2018 season, and then to McLaren following Ricciardo’s arrival at Enstone.

While at McLaren, Sainz finished an impressive sixth in the 2019 drivers championship and helped McLaren to fourth place in the constructors’ championship. This was McLaren’s best finish since 2012 and helped in raising his profile with Ferrari’s management.

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