Carlos Sainz admits that he was amused by rumours of issues in the process of signing his new contract with Ferrari. It was recently announced that Sainz will remain with the Italian outfit until the end of 2024, adding another two years onto his current deal. Sainz says that negotiations between the two sides were uncomplicated. "[It was] super straightforward, to be honest," Sainz told media, including RacingNews365.com , ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. "It's been easygoing, I guess, after such a good first year. Getting to agree [during] the winter was fairly easy for both parties. "Now, having the opportunity to announce [it] in a place like Imola, in front of the Tifosi, on a weekend like this, I think it was ideal, so we put together a good plan for the announcement being here."
How a long-term contract can give a "boost"
Sainz feels that having his future secured for the next few years enables him to focus on his performance more. "I think it's key," the Spaniard commented. "It's no secret recently that, not only me, [but] I think you've heard also other drivers saying that it's important on the driver side to have the mind focus on the performance, on the racing and not having to focus too much on what the future holds. "For me, since I discovered this when I raced for McLaren, I've been very vocal towards it and, honestly, I've been pretty sure all the winter that we were going to secure this, so it's not like I was worried in the first few races. "But it always gives you that extra bit of a boost."
Sainz laughed at rumours of issues
Given that the deal was set to be announced imminently, Sainz says he laughed at speculation that the negotiations may not have been totally straightforward. "You can imagine how much I was laughing at home, when people started writing these things, because I had everything pretty much done, and we were just waiting for Imola to announce [it]," he added. "So yeah, funny times like always in Formula 1 when we negotiate."
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