Sainz wary as Mercedes drivers talk up Ferrari ahead of first F1 race next week

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz suggested Formula One champions Mercedes were playing ‘typical’ games in talking up the Italian team’s prospects ahead of the season starting in Bahrain next week.

Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton and new teammate George Russell pointed to Ferrari’s form in testing at Sakhir.

“From what I can see, today Ferrari would probably be getting a one-two, or maybe Red Bull,” said Hamilton on Friday.

Russell had told reporters on Thursday that the Italians looked strongest in low fuel runs.

Sainz said 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 the Spaniard.

Mercedes have been constructors’ champions for the past eight years.

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.

They have not won a 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.

MOUNTING HYPE

The buzz in Italy, and in the Formula One paddock, is mounting.

Friday’s headlines in Italy’s Gazzetta Dello Sport highlighted those rising hopes, even if that 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 was 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.”