There’s more to being a top Formula 1 driver than just being quick.
The likes of Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost were extremely fast but also had some of the sharpest minds on the grid.
Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast, Damon Hill has praised one current driver for his intelligence and quick thinking in the car.
Experience plays a key role when it comes to delivering the right feedback to your engineers and making split-second decisions.
It’s something Valtteri Bottas has a strong reputation for and something he’ll hope earns him a contract for 2025 and beyond.
However, Damon Hill reserved special praise for race winner Carlos Sainz and spoke about how the intelligent Spaniard can deliver information to Ferrari that teammate Charles Leclerc isn’t capable of yet.
Whether that’s something Frederic Vasseur and his team will miss when he leaves in 2025 is yet to be seen.
His replacement Lewis Hamilton is one of the most experienced drivers in F1 history and also knows his way around a car.
Damon Hill praises intelligent Carlos Sainz after Australian GP win
The sight of Carlos Sainz going full throttle around one of the fastest tracks on the calendar two weeks after having his appendix removed was incredible to see.
Even with Oliver Bearman waiting in the wings on standby, Sainz had no doubts that he would be racing in Melbourne.
He showed in Bahrain that he could extract plenty of speed out of the SF-24, joining both Red Bull drivers on the podium in Sakhir ahead of his teammate.
Leclerc gained ground on him due to his absence in Saudi Arabia but things are looking up for Sainz already.
Damon Hill has suggested that Sainz has shown how intelligent he is in the car over the past few months and that’s another reason why he’d be a valuable asset for another team.
Mercedes have a seat to fill for 2025 and the likes of Aston Martin and Sauber are keen admirers as well.
Sainz is beginning to prove what a brilliant team leader he could be, but whether he’s patient enough to lead a project when he’s fast enough to be challenging for race wins now remains to be seen.
Carlos Sainz impresses again at the Australian Grand Prix
Asked who the stronger driver is between Sainz and Leclerc, Hill replied: “Do you know, you’re not supposed to say this are you?
“I think and I have felt this going back to Silverstone when Carlos [Sainz] was giving instructions to the team about his strategy.
“And Charles [Leclerc] was sort of saying, tell me what to do or getting annoyed that he was given team orders.
“And these are the marks of a driver who’s aware and able to cope with loads more information when they’re driving.
“Carlos is smart and I think he showed he’s not only a thinking driver, but he’s also fast and actually in the race, for whatever reason, he was out-qualified by Carlos and also he was our-raced by him.”
The £180,000-per-week driver has a two-week gap between the races in Melbourne and Suzuka to continue his recovery and consider his future.
The intelligent move from Sainz would be to take his time as none of the top teams are committed to a driver until they know where he’s going and the praise he’s received from Hill will only add to the clamour that he deserves to be in the fastest car available.
That could be a Red Bull, with the team identifying him as one of their best options should Max Verstappen leave.
Mercedes are in the market for a driver too and the thought of Sainz and George Russell racing together is exciting.
Whatever happens, it would be a huge surprise if Carlos Sainz wasn’t on the grid attempting to stand on the top step of the podium in Melbourne again in 2025.
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