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Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris were undeniably the two breakout stars of the 2021 season, keeping the two title contenders aside. Former world champion Nico Rosberg also seems to agree with this observation.
The 2016 world champion revealed his top 5 drivers of the 2021 season in a recent YouTube video. While he was clear about his top 2 and who would come in at 5th place, Rosberg was contemplating which driver deserves to come in 3rd place when picking one between Sainz and Norris. It is in this ranking that the Spaniard believes the two former teammates deserve to be ranked equally.
Carlos Sainz finished the season a mere 4.5 points ahead of the McLaren driver in the drivers' standings. With four podiums for both drivers, they were one of the most leveled competitors of the season in terms of performance. Keeping this in mind, Rosberg struggled to pick the right ranking for the two drivers.
Here's what the former Mercedes driver had to say to Carlos Sainz about his dilemma:
“I was thinking about where do I put you, and we’re just debating third or fourth. We’re debating third or fourth with Lando.”
Sainz agreed that their performances were very close throughout the season. The Spaniard compared it to the battles between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen:
“Between Lando and I? He did a really strong season, so he would deserve it too. It’s like Lewis and Max today, both deserved it.”
When asked if he would like to share third place with his former team-mate, Sainz replied:
“I take equal third, especially with Lando.”
The former teammates have had one of the best seasons of their respective careers. They fought hard to take their respective teams to P3 in the constructors' standings, with Ferrari winning the midfield battle in the end.
"You know what level that is" - Nico Rosberg on Carlos Sainz' first year with Ferrari
Carlos Sainz finished his first year with the Italian team on an absolute high. His performances throughout the year played a significant role in bringing Ferrari closer to the glory days of the past. Nico Rosberg compared the Spaniard's season to that of Lando Norris', deciding to rank them equally as third on his list of top 5 drivers of the season.
Describing the Briton's 2021 season, Rosberg praised his spectacular podiums and maiden pole position:
“He had such high peaks. Peaks of world championship level, exceptional driving.”
Although Rosberg was tempted to put Lando Norris in third and Carlos Sainz right behind him, he could not resist crediting the Spaniard for his consistently strong performance throughout the year:
“Vettel had no chance against Leclerc and here comes Carlos and beats him. So, you know what level that is.”
Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris are set to return for the 2022 season and put up a fight for their maiden race win that has been a long time coming.
