• Carlos Sainz. "I like the leadership of Martínez-Almeida"
  • Vettel-Ferari. 12 months of unstoppable sinking
  • Budget ceiling: Ferrari wins the pulse of McLaren

These days, Carlos Sainz and Ferrari are finalizing the negotiations for the Spanish to occupy the position of Sebastian Vettel from 2021. To the interest of the Scuderia , multiplied on Tuesday after the farewell to the four-time world champion, the legitimate ambition of Madrid is added, which in 2020 ends contract with McLaren. Sainz could become in the next few hours the third Spanish driver in the history of Ferrari, after the Marquis de Portago (1956-1957) and Fernando Alonso (2010-2014). All with just 25 years old, three less than the long-awaited aristocrat and five less than the double world champion when they landed in Maranello. The imminent outcome forces to shed light on some issues.

Why Sainz and not someone else?

After 100 races at the Grand Circus, Sainz can barely boast a podium and sixth place in the Drivers' World Championship. However, his prestige among the team leaders rose like foam throughout 2019. Now, everyone in the paddock knows about Carlos's exceptional consistency at the wheel, his aplomb in critical situations and his regularity to optimize the potential of the car. His impeccable professionalism and dedication to the engineers at the factory have also been celebrated. Thanks to its fluent Italian you will be able to better unravel what's going on in there. And his good spirit, tested since time with Max Verstappen in Toro Rosso, makes him an ideal partner to compete equally with Charles Leclerc .

What are the conditions?

A two-year contract, until the end of 2022, seems like the ideal option for Sainz, who already started that same commitment to McLaren in 2018. In any case, money does not seem a determining factor to meet the expectations of both parties, who will continue their fluid communication via telematics. In addition, in these critical hours of tug-of-war, the Spanish can also afford the patience, given that Zak Brown and Andreas Seidl , his bosses in Woking, continue to consider him essential in his medium-term future, already with the engines Mercedes under the hood.

Does Alonso have any option?

"I know what I am going to do next year, I hope to announce it soon," revealed the Asturian last week. Of course, Alonso's immediate plans do not include Ferrari. Nor vice versa. Firstly, because he would only return to F1 after the regulatory change, postponed due to the pandemic, until 2022. A future that Ferrari has exclusively given to Leclerc. Second, but not least, because the bad vibes of Fernando's goodbye are still in force, six years later, among many people from the Red team.

How was the end of Vettel forged?

A little over a month ago, Vettel decided to stand up to his superiors, Louis Camilleri and Mattia Binotto , with whom he always had a good relationship. Of course, much more fluid than with Sergio Marchionne and Maurizio Arrivabene , their predecessors in the Ferrari dome. The German could not understand that his renewal was entrenched when the team had already bet all the chips on Leclerc. Binotto himself has admitted that money was never a problem. And Vettel elaborated on this same thesis, surreptitiously sliding a lack of confidence and harmony.

Can it be considered a failure?

Except for a miracle that nobody trusts, Seb will leave Ferrari without the coveted world crown and feelings similar to those of Alain Prost , Fernando Alonso or Nigel Mansell , other champions who failed to renew their laurels at Maranello. His 14 victories in five seasons seem like a mediocre balance, although even more reprehensible was the inability to fight for the title with the cars of 2017 and 2018, when he did have to really discuss the title with Mercedes.

How will it affect Ferrari now?

The 2020 World Cup, without an official start date yet, without the certainty even of its own existence, can be extremely chaotic for the red racing cars. The frictions of the more recent past with Leclerc do not bode well in the garage. Because everyone in there sees the Monegasque as the true leader, but no one doubts either that Vettel is going to settle for a mere gregarious status. Only the professionalism of both will be able to avoid repeating scenes as embarrassing as those of the last Brazilian GP, ​​with the two cars stranded after an unfortunate snag.

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  • Sebastian Vettel
  • Fernando Alonso
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