Carlos Sainz Reflects on Ferrari Exit: 'No Hard Feelings, Hamilton Was the Obvious Choice'

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Carlos Sainz has opened up about his lingering frustration after missing out on key opportunities at Ferrari, but he understands why the team opted to replace him with Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season. The Spanish driver, who has been with Ferrari since 2021, admits that the decision to bring in the seven-time world champion was an obvious one, despite it leaving him without a seat.

Back in February, Ferrari shocked the F1 world by announcing Hamilton would take Sainz's place, although their statement made no mention of the outgoing driver. Sainz, who was deep in negotiations to extend his contract, found himself sidelined in favor of Hamilton to partner Charles Leclerc. After a period of uncertainty, Sainz signed a two-year deal with Williams in July.

Despite the abrupt end to his Ferrari journey, Sainz says there’s no ill will. He even acknowledges that Ferrari’s choice to go with Hamilton, given his status, made sense. “I have nothing bad to say about Ferrari,” Sainz shared in an interview with AS. “I don’t think they have anything bad to say about me either. Our parting wasn’t because we were unhappy with each other—it was just circumstances."

He added, "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 reflected on his time with the team, noting that since joining Ferrari from McLaren in 2021, he’s never finished higher than fifth in the drivers' standings. Although he outperformed teammate Charles Leclerc in his first year, Leclerc has since become the more consistent performer.

When asked what troubled him most about his Ferrari stint, Sainz was candid: "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.

He continued, "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."

Despite these challenges, Sainz has managed to put in a strong final season with Ferrari, racking up five podiums, including a victory at the Australian Grand Prix. He currently sits fifth in the standings, though a late-race crash with Sergio Perez at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix cut short a potential finish.

Ferrari's team principal, Fred Vasseur, spoke highly of Sainz as he prepares to move to Williams, even hinting that the door remains open for a return. "Yeah, for sure. Honestly, I have a huge respect for Carlos and what he did for Ferrari. As you know, this call was not an easy one."