Sainz Convinced He Would Have Renewed Contract With Ferrari If It Weren't For Hamilton

Sunday, 06 October 2024 at 22:00

Updated at Monday, 14 October 2024 at 15:13

Carlos Sainz asserted he believed he would still be driving for Ferrari in 2025 if Lewis Hamilton didn't express interest in driving for the Italian team.

Following the end of the 2024 season in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton will say goodbye to his current team, Mercedes, and will join Scuderia Ferrari, replacing Carlos Sainz.

Many pundits suggest that the partnership between the most successful driver and the most successful team in Formula 1 history was meant to happen sooner or later.

Former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese and former Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley both recently suggested getting the seven-time World Champion on their team was a good purchase for Ferrari.

How does Sainz feel about this situation? The 30-year-old asserted he has nothing bad to say about the Italian team despite their decision to replace him. He told AS:

"I have no bad words for Ferrari. I don't think they have any bad words for me either. It is a relationship that has ended not because we are not happy with each other, but because of a circumstantial issue."

Read also

Stewart Assesses Hamilton's Chances Of Success With Ferrari At 40 Years Old

"I remain convinced that if Hamilton had not wanted to finish his career at Ferrari, I would have renewed. But you can't say no to a seven-time world champion, I understand that, it's a pairing that was meant to be together and it's been my turn."

Sainz's Biggest Regret From The Time With Ferrari

After four seasons with Scuderia, the Spanish driver will head to Williams. Asked what his biggest regret was from the time that he was driving for Ferrari, Sainz pinpointed the 2022 season.

"I'm angry about the start of 2022, the rule change affected me a lot as a driver. They were very different cars to the ones we had until 2021, which we had been driving for many years."

"Ferrari had a very good start to the season with a fast car, but very difficult to drive and very strange. You needed to have a strange way of driving that didn't suit my style and that's when I missed out on opportunities to win because I wasn't 100 per cent with the car."