Excited Sainz the 'ideal fit' for ambitious Ferrari

LONDON • Spaniard Carlos Sainz revealed he is "excited about my future" after making his dream move to Ferrari, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo replacing him at McLaren as Formula One's driver carousel took a big twirl yesterday.

Ferrari said 25-year-old Sainz, who replaces four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel alongside Monegasque Charles Leclerc, 22, at the sport's most glamorous team, had signed for 2021 and 2022. The duo will form the team's youngest pairing in the past 50 years.

"I am very happy that I will be driving for Scuderia Ferrari in 2021 and I'm excited about my future with the team," said Sainz, adding that he is still looking forward to racing with McLaren this season.

Vettel's departure at the end of a season so far stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic was announced on Tuesday, with the German's next move uncertain.

"With five seasons already behind him, Carlos has proved to be very talented and has shown that he has the technical ability and the right attributes to make him an ideal fit with our family," said Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto.

Ricciardo, 30, will depart Renault after opting for a multi-year arrangement with McLaren. The Australian, a seven-time race winner with Red Bull, will team up with Briton Lando Norris, 20.

"Adios amigo! It's only been a year, but it's been a pleasure," Norris told Sainz in a Twitter post. "We've had some good laughs and made a few memories... let's give this year the send-off it deserves."

Ferrari will be Sainz's fourth employers after a 2015 debut with Italy-based Toro Rosso, followed by stints at Renault and McLaren.

He will follow in the footsteps of boyhood hero, friend, compatriot and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who also went from Minardi (Toro Rosso's predecessors), to Renault, McLaren and Ferrari. The 38-year-old, who left Formula One in 2018, has been linked with a return to Renault.

Renault said they were in no hurry to name a replacement after issuing a terse statement confirming Ricciardo's departure, with team principal Cyril Abiteboul indicating his displeasure.

"In our sport, and particularly within the current extraordinary situation, reciprocated confidence, unity and commitment are, more than ever, critical values," he said.

Leclerc won two races in his Ferrari debut last year, and will play a leading role as the Prancing Horse seek their first constructors' championship since 2008. Kimi Raikkonen was the last Ferrari ace to win the drivers' title in 2007.

Sainz has just one career podium finish, a third place in Brazil last season that was McLaren's first since 2014 and helped them finish the year fourth overall.

"We've embarked on a new cycle with the aim of getting back to the top in Formula One," said Binotto, adding that the pair are the "best possible combination" to help the team achieve their goals.

The move ends speculation about Lewis Hamilton's future, with the Briton now sure to stay at Mercedes as he chases a seventh title to equal Michael Schumacher's record. He signed a new deal in 2018 worth up to £40 million (S$69.5 million) a year and has seen his net worth rise by £37 million over the last year.

The world champion is the richest sportsperson in Britain with a net worth of £224 million, according to The Sunday Times newspaper's Rich List.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE