Carlos Sainz contested his final race with Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, achiving one final podium ahead of his move to Williams next season.
Ferrari’s decision to axe Sainz in favour of Lewis Hamilton came after the Spaniard’s mixed results throughout the 2022 season. The Scuderia elected to renew his contract at the start of 2023, and would later become the only driver to topple Red Bull that year with his win at the Singapore GP.
Sainz now understands ‘100%’ why Ferrari chose to replace him with Hamilton, although much of his 2024 was about proving they made the wrong decision.
He impressed early on in the 2024 season when he came back from appendicitis to win the Australian GP, then later took a commanding victory at the Mexico City GP when he dominated the entire weekend at the wheel of his Ferrari.
After his final race with the team in Abu Dhabi, former F1 team principal Eddie Jordan he revealed what Sainz’s father, Carlos Sainz Sr, did when he visited the Ferrari hospitality unit.
Carlos Sainz Sr ‘in tears’ after son’s final race with Ferrari
Ferrari had prepared a video for Sainz to say farewell to the Spaniard in their hospitality unit, which they showed to him after the race.
Sainz and his entourage made their way in front of the TV where it was playing, with Jordan explaining that his father was also in tears while watching the film.
“John Elkann must have had rocks in his head to make that decision [to axe Sainz],” said Jordan.
“I’m particularly close to his father, Carlos Sr, and when I spoke to him to say what a good job he’d done the whole of Ferrari was all upstairs in the units where they have the hospitality and Carlos Sr was in tears.
“Carlos himself was in tears and he still doesn’t quite understand why he was let go, and to be quite honest I don’t either.”
Carlos Sainz impresses on his Williams debut at Abu Dhabi post-season test
Sainz made his debut with Williams during the post-season test at Abu Dhabi, having been released by Ferrari early to participate.
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time, but it was Sainz who was second fastest with a time that was only a tenth off his former teammate in the Williams FW46.
READ MORE: Williams driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height
While the times are not representative of actual pace due to the lack of fuel load data and different tyre compounds, it is an encouraging start for Sainz as he familiarises himself with the team.
Although Williams finished in ninth place, Sainz believes that the move to Williams is not a step down given their ambitions for the future.
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