Carlos Sainz makes strong comment about Lewis Hamilton, insists any driver would say the same

The 29-year-old said in an interview with GQ Spain: “I honestly don’t believe that Hamilton is a better driver than me. If you ask this question to the other 18 drivers, they will answer the same. I think I am the best option for any Formula 1 team, because if I didn’t have this mentality, I wouldn’t be a Formula 1 driver and I wouldn’t have the competitive soul that I have.”

On the appeal of Hamilton’s previous successes for a team like Ferrari, Sainz said: “When I think about it, it doesn’t bother me that much because the person who replaces me is one of the best drivers in the history of the sport.”

The former Renault and McLaren driver admitted that the year had started “in a complicated way”. He said: “The news and the announcement of my non-renewal and Hamilton joining Ferrari already gave a strange feeling at the beginning of the year, knowing that it would be my last year at Ferrari. But I have started the season very well. Of course I am looking forward to proving my worth.

“Right now I have to take the opportunity to have a car this year that I can use to win podiums. I have to take those chances to win because I don’t know if I’ll have them next year.”

Looking ahead to his future, Sainz is adamant that having “a competitive car” as soon as possible will be just as important as finding “a project” that gives him stability and motivation. “I’m trying to find the balance between the best of both, and that’s why it’s not easy because it’s a very important decision for my career,” he admitted.

“Williams is a very emblematic team in Formula 1, and it’s one of the few I still have, Red Bull Racing too, Mercedes too, there are two or three teams that I haven’t been to yet, but that I might go to in the future. I’ve been in five different teams in these ten years, and I have very good memories of each of them.”

He claimed he does not feel underestimated by people who “know Formula 1 well”, but believes the media and fans may have forgotten about him. Sainz is currently fourth in the drivers’ standings with 154 points – eight points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc and 29 points ahead of Hamilton.

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