What kind of Ferrari driver will Sainz be?

Carlos Sainz Jr is expected to be typecast in the supporting role to Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in 2021. But the tenacious Spaniard's fighting spirit stands to make him much more than just the number two driver

Published May 18, 2020, 3:14 PM

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.

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Author Luke Smith

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.