Carlos Sainz has now officially left Ferrari to become a Williams driver. At the end of the year, his contract with the Scuderia expired, and his new deal began.
Sainz confirmed as much by updating his bio on his social media channels. He’s already driven for Williams at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi after receiving permission from his old employers.
Williams have formally welcomed their new driver, who will don their racesuit for the first time at the F175 launch event in February. Sainz had to wear plain white overalls in Abu Dhabi due to sponsor clashes.
Privately, there’s bound to be some ill feeling. Sainz has lost his seat despite winning four races for Ferrari and stacking up fairly well against Charles Leclerc, one of the most highly-rated drivers on the grid.
Worse still, he hasn’t been able to find a spot at another top team. Sainz’s father can’t understand why Mercedes signed Kimi Antonelli rather than a proven commodity.
In truth, Sainz’s main issue is that he isn’t Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari’s ruthless decision could be decisive for his career trajectory, but outwardly, the relationship between team and driver remains warm.
Damon Hill stunned after Ferrari gift Carlos Sainz F1-75 car
Ferrari can’t be accused of honouring Sainz in a half-hearted manner. They went further than the customary photos in Abu Dhabi.
They invited Sainz and his father to the Fiorano test track, where they were both able to drive F1 machinery. Teammate Leclerc was also in attendance.
And Ferrari have also gifted Sainz their 2022 car, perhaps the greatest gesture of all. He won his first-ever Grand Prix behind the wheel of the F1-75 at Silverstone in 2022.
Instagram account @formula.room relayed this news, and 1996 world champion Damon Hill offered a one-word reaction on his story. He simply wrote ‘wow’.
Did Carlos Sainz produce one 2024 drive even better than Max Verstappen in Brazil?
Leclerc’s heartfelt message to Sainz shows that they were close to perfect teammates. As the Monegasque himself acknowledged, the competition from the other side of the garage was so intense that it forced him to raise his game.
While there were occasional flashpoints in their relationship, they were always handled professionally. Sainz says Leclerc apologised in private when he didn’t behave correctly.
Ultimately, Ferrari have signed Hamilton because they believe he has an edge that can end their title drought. They haven’t won the drivers’ title since 2007, and the constructors’ since 2008.
But Sainz produced the drive of the season by winning in Australia, Jolyon Palmer says. Palmer ranked his display above Max Verstappen’s 17th-to-first charge in Brazil because it came just two weeks after his appendectomy, a reflection of his remarkable spirit.
Leave feedback about this