After finishing a disappointing sixth place in the F1 Constructors Championship, Ferrari is placing its hopes in the talents of French sensation Charles LeClerc and its latest acquisition, Carlos Sainz, who left McLaren in 2020 to join the prancing horse team. A Grand Prix victory still eludes Sainz, although so far in 2021, the Madrid native managed two second-place finishes to reach the podium.

With this being his best season ever, it might only be a matter of time before he gets a win. In the meantime, he still has time for some promotion that included a stint on Ferrari's Fioriano track to check out the company's Ferrari's Dino 246 GT for a video shoot released Thursday.

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V6 Engine Churns Out 195 Horsepower

Introduced in 1969, the two-seater Dino 246 GT was a popular addition to the Ferrari lineup, going through three modifications until production inexplicably stopped in 1974. And while it had a nearly identical design to its 206 GT predecessor, the body was longer with a larger engine cover.

RELATED: Ferrari Reveals SF21 As 2021 F1 Title ChallengerThis Dino also had a larger and heavier 148 cubic-inch, cast-iron V6 engine with cylinder heads composed from a silumin alloy. With a five-speed transmission, the 246 GT could deliver 195 hp to the rear wheels and reach a top speed of 146 mph. That was a big deal back in the '60s, but it was obviously a machine that Sainz would find to be a bit slow for his tastes.

Steering And Shifting Was Difficult

Carlos-Sainz-starts-up-a-red-Ferrari-Dino-246-GT-1
Ferrari

It's no surprise that Sainz found driving this Dino to be something unique from what he's accustomed to on the F1 circuit. "I didn't imagine it was going to be so different to the thing that we do nowadays," he said about the experience.

One thing he noticed was that the sports car lacked power steering so he really had to exert more energy while turning, especially on the Fioriano's hairpin turns. Negotiating corners had him contorting his body while trying to maintain his hands on the wheel and feet on the pedals. Another minor inconvenience was getting used to the gearbox.

This Dino Has A Raw Feel

Carlos Sainz negotiates a corner in a red Ferrari Dino 246 GT
Ferrari

There's absolutely no doubt that for a driver used to the latest racing technology in his day job, driving this Dino made him humble.

"I completely loved the experience," said Sainz after the drive. "I'm feeling the car a lot more raw without so many systems, without so much technology. You really feel what's underneath you."

Source: Ferrari