Sainz vows to maximise "special" Ferrari opportunity

Carlos Sainz is confident he will "maximise the opportunity" of being a Ferrari driver after moving from rival team McLaren over the winter.

Sainz enjoyed a strong two-year stint at McLaren before joining the Scuderia finishing each campaign sixth.

In his first race as a Ferrari driver, Sainz crossed the line eighth trailing team-mate Charles Leclerc by two positions.

Following the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sainz conceded he was not yet 100 per cent comfortable with the SF71 but with 'hard work' he is confident it will not be long until he is able to fully exploit the pace of his car.

"I am just wanting to maximise this opportunity, enjoy the ride, enjoy being a Ferrari driver and I will make sure I realise that every race, I am a Ferrari driver," he said.

"I have to enjoy this experience because this has been a dream for me since I was 10 years old.

"The rest, keep working hard, keep applying my working method and ensure we get to the top as soon as possible."

The current season is the 26-year-old's seventh in Formula 1 with time previously spent at Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren although Sainz found it difficult to vocalise the differences between Ferrari and his former employers.

He added: "It is different. It is a very special place to be.

"When I arrived in January and getting the experience of going into the factory for the first time, going to the Fiorano test and to meet the Tifosi whilst being a Ferrari driver is something I had never experienced before and something really special in any Formula 1 driver's career.

"I had the pleasure of experiencing it."

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