F1: Ferrari boss promises contract talks, believes it will be 'easy'

Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto foresees no difficulties in sitting down with Carlos Sainz with regards to a new deal. The Spaniard. who joined the Maranelllo-based team in 2021, will be out of contract at the end of the 2022 season, and the team have no intention of letting him leave.

Sainz came in as a replacement for four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, who was not handed an extension following a disappointing 2019 campaign. Charles Leclerc was seen as the new leader of the team, and Ferrari was ready to bring in a driver that will complement the Monagasque, and build for the future.

The Spanish racer had his best season in F1 with McLaren in 2020, and with the Woking-based team on the rise many were surprised by Sainz's decision to join a struggling Ferrari team. However, the lure of F1's most prestigious team was hard to turn down, and his decision has been vindicated in 2021.

Not only has Sainz settled in well with the Italian marque, he even outperformed highly-rated teammate Leclerc in his debut campaign. The 27-year-old, who is not considered among the emerging young brigade, finished the season with four podium places and fifth place in the Drivers' championship, only behind the two Mercedes and Red Bull Racing drivers.

Binotto has been pleased with how Sainz has integrated himself within the team, and has no doubt that he along with Leclerc are among the best pairings on the grid going into the 2022 campaign. Ferrari are keen to maintain the partnership in the long-term and the Ferrari boss confirmed that they will begin talks ahead of next season about a new deal.

"We'll sit down with time and try to understand. Certainly I think he did very well during the season," Binotto said, as quoted by the Daily Express. "[We are] very happy the way that he has integrated, the way that he has been performing on-track and during the race weekends."

"So no doubt that we'll sit down and try to find an agreement. That will be part of the winter period."

Sainz has already admitted that he does not see himself anywhere else but Ferrari in the medium to long-term, and with Leclerc already contracted until the end of the 2024 season, the Italian team could have a stable lineup for many seasons to come. Binotto believes discussions about a new deal will be easy with both parties keen on continuing the relationship.

"I would like to sit down with him, I've not started yet the discussion with him," he added. "I don't know what he's got in mind as well as him, Carlos, as a driver. So today, there is not an answer to that."

"It will be, I think, an easy discussion, no doubt. But so far we have not started, so I have no answer for you."