Mercede🅺s driver George Russell has twice singled out Ferrari as being the early favourites after a strong pair of pre-season tests in Barcelona and Bahrain, with the Italian outfit racking up considerable mileage and regularly featuring towards the top of the time🅘 sheets. 

Russell claimed on Thursday that the Fe🃏rrari is “globally the strongest” car based on pre-season testing, while at the end of day two in Bahꦗrain, teammate Lewis Hamilton added that Ferrari would “probably be getting a 1-2” if the first race was this weekend. 

But Sainz was quick to dismiss Russell’s comments and remains wary𓂃 about Mercedes’ true performance. 

“I think it’s typical Mercedes, typical George,” said Sainz ꦐon Friday. “Just hype up the others and then come to the first race and blow the competition away, which 🎶is typical.

“If it had would be the first year they’ve done it then I would maybe believe them, but they’ve🐬 done it for five six years now and they k🔜eep [performing] in the first race.

“So, as you can 🍃imagine I don’t think much [of 🍸the comments] and yes, already in GPS [data] we can also see what they are doing.” 

Asked about Sainz’s comments, Hamiltonꦯ insisted Mercedes’ troubles have been real and rejected the theory that his team is purposely hiding its true performance. 

“We’ll be really, really, really good if we were ha𒁃ving all these oversteer moments and tacky driving just to hide our cards,” he said. 

“That’s not the case. We have things we’re trying to get through. ☂Others are struggling less.

“Who knows, maybe when we’ll get to 𒅌next week we’ll have a better understand🉐ing.”

The final day of pre-se𓄧ason testing is taking place at the Bahrain International Circuit on Saturday, before the 2022 season begins next weekend at Sakhir.