Carlos Sainz has revealed how the lack of options to race for a top team next year initially hurt him.
In February, it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would be joining Ferrari at the end of the season, leaving Sainz without a seat on the grid for 2025. With uncertainty over seats at Red Bull, Mercedes and even Kick Sauber, who will turn into Audi ahead of the 2026 season, there was an expectancy amongst fans that the Spaniard would once again be driving for a top team next season. However, as the year progressed and his options started reducing, it became apparent that would not be the case. After four years at Ferrari, Sainz will depart for Williams at the end of the season. The 30-year-0ld has signed a two year agreement with the British team that includes the option to extend further.
Very happy to announce I'll be joining @WilliamsRacing next season! Excited about the project and the challenges ahead of us! ??
Muy contento de poder anunciar que el año que viene me uniré a @WilliamsRacing! Entusiasmado con el proyecto y con los retos que tendremos por… pic.twitter.com/oUg5IexunR
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) July 29, 2024
Missing the cut
Sainz’s exit from Ferrari was as much of a shock to Formula 1 fans as Hamilton’s impending arrival. During his tenure for the Italian team, the Spaniard has claimed pole position on six occasions, stood on the podium 23 times, four of which were grand prix wins and averaged a respectable 214 championship points a season. At the time of the announcement, he was also the only non-Red Bull driver on the grid to have claimed a grand prix victory in the previous year with his impressive 2023 Singapore Grand Prix triumph. Alongside Charles Leclerc, Sainz had formed a strong driver pairing which was able to work cohesively in order to benefit the team on a consistent basis, something that could not be said for several others on the grid. These components have left many people to wonder why Sainz was overlooked by some of F1’s leading constructors’.
Four up. Forza Ferrari ❤️
In Mexico, Carlos Sainz made 2024 his first season with multiple race wins ✌️#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/ygmpz066SG
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 29, 2024
Everything happens for a reason
Although the 30-year-old has now come to terms with the scenario, Formula 1 media reports that Sainz was left frustrated by missing out on the opportunity to drive for one of the top teams next year:
“It hurt at the time. We all have egos… I have a driver ego and I couldn’t understand it at the time. I still personally cannot understand certain choices that people have done.
“I’ve definitely come to peace and I’m a true believer that if I’m not going there, it’s because life just doesn’t want me to be there – there’s something else coming after that that will actually turn out to be good.”
However, the Spaniard also outlined how he is relishing the chance to take Williams back to the pinnacle of the sport:
“At the same time, it creates even more of a challenge in me, it even makes me more excited for Williams. Williams is the one that has invested in me, that have backed me up from the beginning, the ones that came to me a full year ago.
“It actually makes me super excited. I’ve said, ‘I want to give to these guys what they’ve given to me’, give back to them this trust and this belief in me. It gives me good strength. I cannot wait to go there and together with them build something good.”
Sainz will make his Williams debut when he drives for the team at the Abu Dhabi end of season tests.
Feature Image Credit: (Photo by Peter Fox – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)