Although Spanish Formula One driver Carlos Sainz acknowledged he was still “angry” at not taking use of his chances at Ferrari, he acknowledged it was an easy choice to have Lewis Hamilton take his place.
The shocking news that Hamilton would replace Sainz in the driver’s position for the 2025 season came from Ferrari in February. They did not include Sainz, who has been a member of the team since 2021, in their initial statement that celebrated the arrival of the seven-time world champion.
Despite being in the midst of contract renewal talks for 2025 and beyond, Sainz was abruptly fired by Ferrari when they selected Hamilton to join Charles Leclerc. And in July, following several months of ambiguity, the 30-year-old signed a two-year contract with Williams.
Although Sainz’s four-year relationship with Ferrari came to an abrupt conclusion, he maintains he has no animosity against the Italian team. He also admitted that it was “understandable” that Hamilton had been chosen over him.
“I have no bad words for Ferrari,” Sainz said to AS. They don’t seem to have any nasty things to say about me either. It’s a relationship that terminated due to a situation rather than because we weren’t satisfied with each other.
“I still firmly believe that I would have renewed if Hamilton had not desired to conclude his career at Ferrari. However, I realize that you can’t turn down a seven-time world champion; this couple was meant to be, and now it’s my turn.”
Sainz has not finished higher than fifth in the drivers’ standings since switching from McLaren to Ferrari in 2021. The Monegasque driver beat teammate Leclerc in his debut season, but he hasn’t been able to match that performance since.
When asked what his biggest pet peeve during his tenure at Ferrari was, the Spaniard replied, “I’m upset about the beginning of 2022; the regulation change really hurt me as a driver. The cars we drove for several years before to 2021 were substantially different from these.
“With a fast car that is odd and challenging to drive, Ferrari enjoyed a very excellent start to the season. I lost out on chances to win because I wasn’t fully committed to the car because you required me to drive in an unusual manner that wasn’t my style.”
With seven races left, Sainz has proven he can persevere in his last year in Scuderia Red, earning five podium finishes and a win in the Australian Grand Prix. Although he is currently fifth in the drivers’ standings, he was forced to retire from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after colliding with Sergio Perez on the penultimate lap.
The Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur, recently praised the driver headed for Williams, stating he would be happy to see him return in the future. Vasseur answered, “Yes, absolutely. To be really honest, I think Carlos and what he accomplished for Ferrari are amazing. This was not an easy call, as you are aware.”
