Formula 1: Carlos Sainz Jr. tipped to replace Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari
By Asher Fair
Carlos Sainz Jr. has been tipped to replace Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari after Vettel leaves the team upon the conclusion of the 2020 Formula 1 season.
Ferrari and four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel announced earlier this week that they will be parting ways after the 2020 season comes to a close, leaving the seat alongside Charles Leclerc open for 2021.
There has been quite a bit of speculation as to who Ferrari will name their second driver for next year, even before they confirmed that the 32-year-old German will not be back with the team.
Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. were seen as the two frontrunners, with several drivers such as Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas and Alfa Romeo Racing’s Antonio Giovinazzi seen as longshots.
More from Formula One
- Formula 1: Top Red Bull threat identified for 2024
- Formula 1: Why the Max Verstappen retirement obsession?
- Formula 1: Williams ‘mistake’ hints Logan Sargeant’s future
- Formula 1 awaiting key confirmation for 2024 season
- Formula 1: The ‘championship’ Max Verstappen only leads by 3 points
But now multiple reports have stated that Ferrari will confirm Sainz as Leclerc’s teammate for next year, and that an official announcement from Maranello could be on its way as early as this week.
Sainz has competed in Formula 1 for five seasons going back to 2015, first doing so with Toro Rosso as a Red Bull Racing Junior. During the 2017 season, he replaced Jolyon Palmer at Renault and was confirmed by Renault for the 2018 season as well, but he remained on loan from Red Bull.
However, after the 2018 season, he officially cut ties with Red Bull and signed with McLaren to replace two-time world champion Fernando Alonso beginning in 2019.
In his first season with McLaren, he became the first non-Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull Racing driver to finish in the top six in the driver standings since 2015, as he finished in a career-high sixth place, despite opening the season with three consecutive finishes of 14th or worse.
He secured his first career podium finish with a third place result in the Brazilian Grand Prix after starting in dead last (20th).
Next. Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time. dark
This news is still not official, but don’t be surprised to see the 25-year-old Spaniard pictured in red in the very near future with this announcement expected to be well on its way.