3
Carlos Sainz believes that being teammates with Fernando Alonso would be the biggest ask in Formula 1 today. The 23-year-old will be leaving Renault at the end of the year, and has been heavily linked with a move to McLaren.
However, it is unclear if he would be partnering Alonso, Stoffel Vandoorne or another driver at the team should he make the switch. Alonso is heavily out-performing current teammate Vandoorne, with the Belgian yet to get the better of Alonso in qualifying this season.
When asked if he would be able to beat Alonso, Sainz replied: "I don't know, because I haven't even thought about it, as still it's not happening. I'm ready to beat anyone in the field. My racing spirit and my competitiveness and my self-confidence tells me that I can take over anyone.
"Probably Fernando would be the biggest ask that you could have on the grid, that's for sure. But yeah, I would feel ready for anything," he added.
Alonso has been an idol of Sainz for many years, as the latter grew up watching his compatriot winning races and championships. And Sainz says that racing alongside his hero is something that he could never have imagined happening to him.
"I think since I arrived in F1 I have started next to him in nearly every race, which is quite strange," he said. "It's something I didn't expect, because you would expect Fernando to be fighting for world championships instead of fighting with me in the midfield at the beginning of my career.
"But what I feel particularly proud of, and particularly happy [about], is that these few years I've been taught by the best. I don't feel I've been driving in the midfield. I feel like I've been driving for world titles, because simply to be up against Fernando in every race, also Jenson [Button], when he was in McLaren, it's been a great feeling. That is what it makes me feel ready for whatever comes."
Fergal Walsh
Ready to beat him? you couldn't beat the Hulk mate.. what makes you think you can be close to Alonso?
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
180,958 comments on Alpine F1
78 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Fernando Alonso
263,869 comments on McLaren 155 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about McLaren
G. Zhou
Rindtchamp
Posts: 304
Ready to beat him? you couldn't beat the Hulk mate.. what makes you think you can be close to Alonso?