Carlos Sainz says the judgement surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s begin to life as a Ferrari F1 driver has been “unfair”.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton has endured a troublesome begin to his Ferrari profession following his blockbuster swap from Mercedes, with the transfer charming the eye of the F1 world and creating large pleasure.
Hamilton impressively fought again from twelfth to assert his greatest grand prix end result for Ferrari with a fourth-place end on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which additionally marked the primary time this 12 months he has crushed teammate Charles Leclerc (dash races apart).
Not solely has Hamilton needed to get used to a very totally different setting at Ferrari, he has additionally needed to be taught a brand new automobile, that includes braking programs and an influence unit he has by no means beforehand skilled in F1.
Sainz, who Hamilton changed at Ferrari, can emphasise with the 40-year-old Briton’s scenario as he goes by way of an analogous interval of adaptation along with his new crew Williams.
Carlos Sainz on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari woe
Requested if Hamilton’s struggles to adapt have come as a shock, Sainz solely informed Crash.web: “No. I believe the struggles are actual for him, and actual for me, and actual for Nico Hulkenberg.
“They’re actual for any rookie coming right into a crew, though whereas a rookie has much less expertise, but additionally much less muscle reminiscence of different automobiles that he has just lately pushed, they’re coming with a clear sheet.
“Now we have muscle reminiscence of 24 races of three or 4 consecutive years of driving a distinct automobile so all the things feels bizarre.
“Going again to Lewis, it’s fully regular the difference course of. He’s been 10 years [12] with the identical crew so I believe all the things would really feel fully odd and off to him within the Ferrari.
“In the identical approach for me within the Williams, the primary races, I used to be fully misplaced in numerous issues.
“The one factor we are able to do as drivers is attempt to make that adaptation course of as brief as attainable however the course of an the races are all the time going to be the place you’re taking a while to adapt.”
Requested whether or not it’s too quickly to evaluate Hamilton’s efficiency, Sainz replied: “You may decide how lengthy or brief that may take a driver however to evaluate the motive force’s profession in that crew with six or seven races – it’s unfair.
“You may in all probability simply decide how lengthy or how brief a driver takes to adapt to a crew, however we have to wait years to see the way it goes for me in Williams, the way it goes for him, the way it goes for Nico at Sauber/Audi. Solely time will inform.”
Carlos Sainz
Beating Ferrari not the main focus for Sainz
Sainz outqualified Hamilton for the fourth time in a row at Imola, whereas he and teammate Alex Albon have outpaced each Ferraris at two consecutive occasions.
Nonetheless, the Spaniard insists he’s much less targeted about beating Ferrari particularly, and is as an alternative having fun with the strides Williams are making as a complete.
“For me it’s not a lot the satisfaction of beating Ferrari the final two qualis, it’s the satisfaction of the work we’re doing,” he defined.
“I do know 5 races in the past it could have been not attainable. We modified issues in my driving, we modified issues within the automobile.
“The crew listened to me with the issues we needed to change. Instantly the second these issues have been modified we took a step ahead in efficiency and improvement.
“In order that has introduced me extra confidence that I understand how to information nicely the crew and the factors we have to focus, to know if I hold giving the proper inputs, along with Alex, we are able to altogether hold constructing momentum like we’re doing.
“Beating a Ferrari in a qualifying is only a consequence of that.”
