What kind of Ferrari driver will Sainz be?

Following confirmation that Carlos Sainz Jr will be replacing Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari for 2021, many have identified it as a return to the team's 'old ways'.

Much of Ferrari's success through the years has been attained while operating a clear 'number one' and 'number two' driver philosophy, best evidenced by Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

• More on last week's driver market shock
• Ferrari announces Vettel split
• Ricciardo joins McLaren to replace Sainz
• Ferrari announces Sainz as Vettel replacement
• Vettel and Ferrari no longer shared same goals
• Renault chief Abiteboul makes veiled dig at Ricciardo
• McLaren: Vettel was never a 2021 choice
• Red Bull return for Vettel "enormously unlikely"

The same was true with Fernando Alonso and his team-mates, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen then played second-fiddle to Vettel in their four seasons together, acting as a good foil to the four-time world champion.

And, while Vettel was expected to be the team leader following the arrival of the young Charles Leclerc last year, it quickly became apparent Ferrari now had two top drivers, both striving to be the one spearheading its charge for race wins and title victories.

While this altered dynamic was not the only reason for Vettel's exit from Maranello, it was a sizeable factor. Ferrari could not afford to see repeats of the incidents in Russia and, more harmfully, Brazil last year. And with Leclerc now on a five-year contract, it was clear he would be the man to lead Ferrari into the future.

The arrival of Sainz fits in with the old driver line-up hierarchy Ferrari has traditionally operated. Had it wanted the outright quickest driver to partner Leclerc for next year, it would surely have made Daniel Ricciardo - a proven grand prix winner - its top target, or made an increased effort to keep Vettel. Instead, it went for a midfield driver who has just one podium finish to his name.

It all points to Sainz being the number two to Leclerc; his Barrichello, his Massa, his Raikkonen.

Ferrari sees the Leclerc-Sainz partnership as the start of a new cycle and a new era at Maranello. Team principal Mattia Binotto said he was braced for "a long journey, not without its difficulties" - but removing the headache of two clashing drivers will surely smooth things out. The team now has two young drivers planning for the long-term, avoiding any instability that could come with regular line-up changes. Assuming Sainz is ready to play ball with Leclerc, it should remove any of the friction and tension that had previously been brewing.

Red Bull Formula 1 chief Christian Horner spoke about the issues that come with having two drivers expecting to be the leader within the same team, surely drawing on experience of Ricciardo's time alongside Max Verstappen, the latter emerging as the man its future will be built around.

"Experience shows that two alpha males, it doesn't tend to pan out well," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "Sebastian is still a very competitive grand prix driver. I don't think it would be conducive for our team to have two alphas.

"I think he's going to do really well at Ferrari. I think he's going to give Leclerc a run for his money. I think he'll be really good for the Ferrari mould" McLaren CEO Zak Brown

"We're happy with the driver line-up we have. I'm sure he's not short of options moving forward, but he's chosen that it hasn't worked out for him at Ferrari."

We are now in a position where each of the top three teams - Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull - appear to have defined where the power lies in their line-ups. Lewis Hamilton may be much closer to the end of his career than Verstappen or Leclerc, meaning a succession plan is perhaps more of a consideration for Mercedes, but he is still the squad's leader in the short-term at least.

Sainz's move to Ferrari has similarities to the rise of Hamilton's team-mate, Valtteri Bottas. He's been handed an unexpected opportunity to escape F1's midfield, land a race-winning car and pave the way for a more competitive future. It may not be enough to become world champion, especially with such a quick driver as his team-mate, but it's certainly an improvement on his current prospects in F1's midfield.

But Sainz has never been a driver to settle for where he is. There was obvious tension at Toro Rosso during his rookie season alongside Verstappen, who was much-vaunted as the future of Red Bull's F1 programme. Sainz kept his head down and put in some excellent drives, arguably being the most competitive team-mate Verstappen has had to date.

Even Zak Brown, Sainz's current boss at McLaren, conceded the Spaniard had exceeded his expectations upon signing him.

"He did a better job than I even thought he was going to do," Brown admitted on the Sky Sports F1 Vodcast.

"Obviously we wouldn't have signed him if we didn't think he was going to do a good job, but he really didn't make any mistakes. You didn't see any kind of those rookie errors which you expect from a young driver. He showed maturity and a lot of pace."

Brown backed Sainz to not only become a grand prix winner, but to push Leclerc on-track as well.

"I think he's going to do really well at Ferrari. I think he's going to give Leclerc a run for his money," Brown said.

"I think he'll be really good for the Ferrari mould. I'm looking forward to seeing it. If they have a race-winning car, I think Carlos is going to win races."

Sainz has been a fair team player during his time in F1, with no better example coming than during his time at McLaren. He struck up a close relationship with team-mate Lando Norris, becoming a real feel-good story coming out of the British team even without its resurgence in the championship last year. A similar kind of partnership with Leclerc would come as little surprise, given they're of a similar age and character. It's good news for F1 fandoms everywhere.

A good team player was the top criteria for Ferrari in finding Leclerc a new team-mate. It was for that reason tentative discussions began with Sainz in the winter as the team prepared for the possibility of Vettel leaving.

It's all very well keeping things civil when battling over the midfield positions that rarely offer little reward greater than seventh place. But when it becomes for podiums, wins, and possibly championships, will Sainz be willing to play ball?

He has had to deal with sitting in the shadows for much of his racing career. He rose through the junior ranks always referred to as 'Carlos Sainz Jr' given the presence of his World Rally Championship title-winning father in motorsport circles. Young Carlos said upon arriving in F1 that he hoped one day to be able to ditch the 'Jr' from his name and simply be known as 'Carlos Sainz' thanks to his own success.

He's never wanted to be known as Verstappen's team-mate, nor Alonso's compatriot, nor even Carlos Sr's son. He is Carlos Sainz

After being overlooked at Toro Rosso amid the Verstappen hype, Sainz then had to deal with the comparisons to Alonso as Spain's next F1 hero. Sainz looked up to Alonso growing up, first meeting him at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2005 when the grandstands were filled by fans donning the blue and yellow colours of his team, Renault, and his home city, Oviedo. Even as talk of an Alonso comeback gathers steam, Sainz will surely be the headline name should F1 return to Spain in 2021. The crowds will be donning Ferrari red once again in support of Sainz - even if his two-time world champion compatriot were to also be on the grid.

And so to Ferrari, where Sainz will arrive surely expected to be the wingman to Leclerc - in the shadows again. But he has proven time and time again in F1 he is not willing to accept perceptions or be typecast in anyway. He's never wanted to be known as Verstappen's team-mate, nor Alonso's compatriot, nor even Carlos Sr's son. He is Carlos Sainz.

It is that kind of tenacity that could see Sainz really take the fight to Leclerc as Brown expects. He will surely take time to get up to speed and adjust to life in a top team, but once he is embedded at Maranello, this fighting spirit seen throughout his career to date will surely equip Sainz well for life in F1's toughest team environment.