The Briton heads into the season finale at the Yas Marina circuit leading a tense three-way showdown, 12 points clear of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Australian teammate Oscar Piastri a further four behind.
“I think Abu Dhabi is a Lando track,” Sainz, who drove alongside Norris for two seasons in 2019 and 2020 and was also teammates with Verstappen at Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls), told reporters on Thursday.
“It’s good for him that the finale is in Abu Dhabi, which from my experience being his teammate here is one of his best tracks at driving.
“And the win he took last year in front of me still hurts,” added the 31-year-old Spaniard, who finished second to the Briton on his Ferrari swansong last year.
Norris needs a top-three finish, no matter what his rivals do on Sunday, with the Abu Dhabi finale offering a maximum 25 points.
But as the previous race in Qatar showed, it is far from a formality. The Briton went into that weekend with a chance to seal the title but finished off the podium in fourth after a McLaren strategy blunder.
Sainz said Norris cannot afford any mistakes.
“Going into the last weekend having to finish on the podium is never easy even if you drive a McLaren and I think he needs to execute a perfect weekend.
“I believe given how well he has responded under pressure recently, I think he can do it."