Carlos Sainz, who had his final race with McLaren last weekend in Abu Dhabi, travelled to Maranello on Friday for a seat fitting and media event at Ferrari HQ.
The Spaniard described it as a day he’ll “never forget” and said it was “pretty special” to be in red for the first time.
READ: Leclerc Says His Relationship With Vettel Was Good Even Amid On-Track Drama
“It’s the first time in red, which is obviously, as you can imagine, pretty special. It’s a special day for me in general. And it’s probably a day I will never forget,” Sainz said.
“I’m fully ready, fully motivated here today already, after leaving the UK yesterday. So totally new, and totally refreshed for this new challenge.”
Meanwhile, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto denied that Charles Leclerc will go into 2021 as the team’s number one driver, insisting that he and Sainz will be free to battle each other on-track.
“There is nothing written in the contract of Charles being the [team] leader. I think that the two will be free to fight on track,” Binotto said.
“I think it’s important that they are not damaging themselves, that is clear, but I think that they will have equal opportunity, certainly at the start of the season.”
When Leclerc joined the team to partner Sebastian Vettel at the Scuderia in 2019, it was made clear to him that the four-time World Champion was the number one driver.
However, Leclerc quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with, and Vettel lost his number one driver status in 2020 after it was announced he would be leaving the team at the end of the season.
READ: Sebastian Vettel Says Lewis Hamilton ‘Always Cheered Me Up’ After Ferrari Exit