Sainz and new colleague Charles Leclerc rapidly built a strong bond, and the two teamed to place Ferrari third in the constructors' standings.
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After a strong maiden Formula One season, Ferrari expects to have a “easy discussion” with Carlos Sainz about extending his contract with the team. Last season, Sainz signed a two-year deal with Ferrari to replace four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. During his debut year with the team, he earned four podiums on way to fifth place in the drivers’ standings.
Sainz and new colleague Charles Leclerc rapidly built a strong bond, and the two teamed to place Ferrari third in the constructors’ standings. In Abu Dhabi, Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies said Sainz and Leclerc were “as good as it gets” as F1 partners, while team principal Mattia Binotto said he expected to speak with Sainz during the winter about his future. Binotto spoke on his plans to speak with Sainz about a new Ferrari deal to secure his services beyond the end of 2022 during his traditional end-of-season media call.
“As we said I think in the last race, we will discuss through the winter time the extension of his contract,” Binotto said.
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“We’ll sit down with time and try to understand. Certainly I think he did very well during the season, [we are] very happy the way that he has integrated, the way that he has been performing on-track and during the race weekends. So no doubt that we’ll sit down and try to find an agreement. That will be part of the winter period.”
During the press conference, Binotto stated that he had yet to meet with Sainz in person to discuss his season or new contract terms, but that he expected it to be a simple conversation.
“I would like to sit down with him, I’ve not started yet the discussion with him,” Binotto said.
“I don’t know what he’s got in mind as well as him, Carlos, as a driver. So today, there is not an answer to that. First I would like to understand how he’s pleased, have a review of him with the season and look together to the future. It will be, I think, an easy discussion, no doubt. But so far we have not started, so I have no answer for you.”
At the end of the 2019 season, Ferrari signed Leclerc to a new long-term contract, binding him to the team until the end of the 2024 season.
