Sainz: Call me a racing maniac if you want

      Carlos Sainz has already started working with Williams, and we told you about it. Of course, it is now important for him to establish a working relationship with the new team, and, in order to somewhat facilitate this task, in one of his first visits to the base in Grove, he answered a few questions of the team staff, which at the general meeting Carlos was asked by James Vowles, its head. To the applause of the audience, the Spanish racer and his new boss talked in a very democratic manner, and they had a dialog like this... James Vowles: It turns out that my task is to conduct an interview with you. So let's get started... Carlos Sainz: First of all, I am very happy to see so many new faces, but I confess that for some reason I have a very bad memory for names and birthdays - I realize that this is my shortcoming, but I will try to improve and gradually get acquainted with everyone. Of course, I am looking forward to our work together, and together we will try to achieve a common goal. James Vowles: What have you learned from watching your father's career? How does his experience help you in Formula 1? By the way, the other day I watched a video of his rally performances: it's really impressive how skillfully he pilots, how he works behind the wheel, and there is a lot to learn from him... Carlos Sainz: Yes, he drives a rally car very skillfully! Even now, at the age of 62, he's still fighting for Dakar wins, he's still in great shape and, to be honest, I'm still learning from him. I'm very lucky to have been able to watch him. His talent wasn't just in becoming World Rally Champion - I think the way he won championships and the respect he was held in by the teams he competed for is still a model for me. He's incredibly dedicated to what he does, my dad always tries to push the team and everyone around him to the limit, but he does it in a constructive and positive way. He tries to maximize teamwork, he's very technical and he's always working hard. He doesn't let anyone relax, sometimes not even me, because he's always calling me. James, you remember our negotiations, don't you? Of course, I try to learn from him. James Vowles: I would like to point out that we had to deal not with one Carlos, but with three. There are two of them here with us now - our new driver and his cousin, his manager - he is also Carlos. And then there's Carlos Sainz Sr. By the way, your father called me a couple of days ago, and we talk to him almost every week now. He was a world rally champion, and although it's a different sport, he certainly knows how to win. Anyway, there's Carlos Sainz Sr, there's Carlos the manager, and there's Carlos who is already more or less decent at piloting our car! So we got three Carlos for the price of one! (general laughter) And now share the first impressions that you got, working with the team at the tests? Carlos Sainz: First impressions are very positive, I am absolutely honest ... Most of all I was impressed by the high level of motivation, which distinguishes all employees of Williams. This was the case even at the end of the year in Abu Dhabi, although the team had some very difficult races behind. But I saw the real enthusiasts of his work, set up to maximize the effectiveness of work. I immediately felt the general support, which helps me a lot this winter. James Vowles: What does the number "55" mean to you? Carlos Sainz: Before I came to Formula 1, my favorite number was "5". I made my F1 debut in 2015, that was ten years ago, so it already feels old! Anyway, that was Sebastian Vettel's number at the time, and when I had to choose a number for myself, I preferred two fives. And then I realized that the number "55" goes well with my name: the last letter of my name and the first letter of my surname make a combination that looks like 55, and that allows you to come up with an interesting logo, good merchandise and all that.

      James Vowles: Are you even aware that you and Alex Elbon now have a common nickname: CarBon? Carlos Sainz: Yes, yes, I follow social media! James Vowles: You were racing for McLaren and Ferrari when those teams were gradually progressing, you were teammates with Lando Norris and Charles Leclair. What qualities of yours have contributed to your reputation as a driver who helps teams develop and become stronger? Carlos Sainz: I don't know and I don't really like to talk about myself. But I just try to give my best in every team, regardless of whether it is work at the base or on the track. I try to work with the team as much time as possible, I try to help the general positive mood. I want to share with everyone my passion for our sport, because I love racing, I love to communicate with engineers, when we work together to select settings or analyze videos made by on-board cameras. As for Alex, I think he's very easy to talk to, and the one thing we have in common is that we don't care about political games. He is a very nice person, and I think that together we will make a good duo and help the team to move forward.