Everyone from Ross Brawn to your average Formula 1 fan is wondering if Carlos Sanz made the right call to leave upwardly mobile McLaren for downward spiralling Ferrari.
The Spaniard replaces Sebastian Vettel in the fabled team, joining Charles Leclerc at Maranello nest year. But the timing of his move coincides with one of the Scuderia’s bleakest periods, with a tough and long road to recovery on the cards.
But Carlos has no reservations, “I’m very comfortable with the decision I have taken. I’ve 100% confidence in Ferrari people and what they can do for the future.
“Let’s just remember that last year they were capable of winning seven pole positions, so it’s a team that I think knows how to produce very good cars.
“Am I nervous? What makes me nervous is to lose 30 points, due to no fault of my own.
“That’s what really concerns me right now. It’s what really makes me go to bed and think, where the hell have I lost this amount of points and how is this happening to me?
“I am fully confident and ready to go to Ferrari next season. I cannot be more excited. Of course I want them to improve, I’ll be the first one in the factory pushing to find more power and I’ll be pushing everyone as soon as I get there.
“Ferrari has a lot of resources, a lot of power benches, so I’m sure they’re there at the factory working hard to get the power they’ve lost.
“It’s a long way – they need to do a very, very, very, very big step to get back to where we all are but if anyone can do it, it’s Ferrari.”
The importance of the Reds in F1 is unquestionable, their failings a hard pill to swallow not only for Tifosi but also neutral fans who simply want Mercedes challenged.
Asked about their current plight, Carlos responded, “Obviously, not good. They’re not happy with their performance this year.
“When you lose so much power from one year to the other – which is not the normal trend in F1, normally you expect to stay the same or gain – you know at Spa you’re going to get in trouble.
“You need to accept 2021 is going to be a tough year for everyone. Every team needs a fresh start to try to trouble Mercedes because at the moment Ferrari or Red Bull are just too far off.
“They are doing a better job and we need to reconsider how we approach F1 and what kind of team you want to have a chance,” added the 26-year-old from Madrid.