Carlos Sainz said an emotional goodbye to Ferrari on Tuesday after four seasons of racing for the Scuderia.
Sainz initially signed for Ferrari at the beginning of the 2021 season after two years at McLaren.
He joined Charles Leclerc and formed a formidable partnership, slowly improving the team to the point where they narrowly missed out on winning the Constructors’ Championship this year to his former employers.
Sainz will give way to Lewis Hamilton in 2025 and after a year of knowing his fate, is now preparing to start next season with Williams.
Williams have already been working with Sainz and despite their difficult 2024 campaign, the Spaniard alongside Alex Albon should be one of the strongest partnerships in the midfield next year.
However, although Ferrari decided to replace Sainz, they wanted to honour him at their test track at Fiorano alongside his father, rallying legend Carlos Sainz Sr.
Carlos Sainz drives with his father at Fiorani at Ferrari farewell
Although David Coulthard thinks Sainz could return to Ferrari, Tuesday’s private testing session could represent the last time the Spaniard drives one of the Italian team’s F1 cars in his career.
Sainz took to the track in several different Ferrari cars, while Sainz’s father drove the Ferrari he won his first Grand Prix which would have been an incredibly touching moment.
It’s an unusual reward for a driver leaving a team, but Sainz Sr. is no ordinary father of an F1 driver.
The 62-year-old has won the World Rally Championship twice, as well as the Dakar Rally as recently as this year as part of the Red Bull Desert Wings team.
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Sainz posted on Instagram about his day of driving at Fiorano with the caption: “Like son, like father!! Grazie @scuderiaferrari.”
Red Bull’s Desert Wings account replied to Sainz and said: “After Dakar, we’ll return the favour.
“See you soon in the desert Carlos Jr.”
Carlos Sainz enters the 2025 F1 season with Williams with a point to prove
Few drivers will be as motivated as Sainz when the lights go out for the first time in Australia in March.
Williams are unlikely to concentrate all of their efforts on 2025, with James Vowles willing to sacrifice a season to be ready for the upcoming rule change the following year.
That will fill Sainz with hope, as he would have been well aware that Williams would be unlikely to overcome the gulf between themselves and the likes of Ferrari and McLaren over the winter break.
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Alex Albon is confident in Williams’ Mercedes power units and McLaren have proved this season that a customer team can win the Constructors’ Championship.
All eyes are going to be on Ferrari next year and how Hamilton copes with joining F1’s most iconic team.
If he struggles to match Leclerc, then it will only enhance Sainz’s reputation.
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