Ferrari's Carlos Sainz is wary of Formula 1 champions Mercedes and their driver George Russell, suggesting they were playing typical mind games in talking up the Italian team during Bahrain F1 Testing.
Russell, new teammate to fellow Briton and seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton after moving from backmarkers Williams, told reporters in testing at Sakhir that Ferrari were looking very solid and potentially the strongest in low fuel runs.
Sainz said on Friday during the first day of the Bahrain F1 Test that Russell's comments were "typical Mercedes, typical George just hype up the others and then come to the first race and blow the competition away.
"If it would be the first year they've done it then I would maybe believe them but they've done it for five or six years now and they keep surprising us in the first race.
"As you can imagine I don't believe much... we can see what they are doing (on track) and I'm not going to say much," added Sainz, one of two Spaniards on the grid, the other his childhood idol Fernando Alonso.
Ferrari, the sport's oldest and most successful team, finished third overall last year after climbing back from a 40-year low of sixth in 2020. Meanwhile, Mercedes have been F1 constructors' champions for the past eight years.
The Reds have not won an F1 drivers' title since now-retired Kimi Raikkonen was champion in 2007 or a constructors' crown since 2008.
This year sees major rule changes, however, and Ferrari switched full attention to their 2022 car earlier than title-chasing rivals and have also benefited from more wind tunnel time.
The buzz in Italy, and in the Formula 1 paddock, is mounting
Friday's headlines in Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted those rising hopes, even if the progress in Bahrain testing of Sainz and teammate Charles Leclerc is still far from front-page news.
"Robust and fast, the Ferrari goes," the paper declared, noting the words of Russell and Red Bull's world champion Max Verstappen. "The F1-75 impresses the rivals".
Red Bull boss Christian Horner, whose team were locked in a season-long battle with Mercedes last year, added to the praise.
"For me the car that looks the most settled on the circuit is the Ferrari at the moment," he told reporters. "They've had a very strong testing period so far, both in Barcelona and in Bahrain.
"They've looked extremely competitive whenever on track, but you have to remember these cars are still very immature.
"The rate of development will be fast and intense and I expect that to change and Mercedes are going to be a huge factor in this championship, I have no doubt."
Sainz joined Ferrari at the start of 2021, partnering Leclerc in the legendary team; the Spaniard winning the hearts and minds of Tifosi and Maranello with his enthusiasm, maturity and speed.
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