Carlos Sainz has opened up about his emotions after receiving the “shock” news that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing him at Ferrari for the 2025 season, admitting he “wasn’t prepared” for such a development.
Sainz was getting ready to enter his fourth season at the Scuderia when Hamilton struck the bombshell deal, meaning the Spaniard had to balance his on-track efforts and discussions with rival teams to secure a new seat.
He brushed the disappointment aside to string together one of his strongest campaigns to date, which included coming back from surgery for appendicitis to win the Australian Grand Prix and claiming a pole position and victory double in Mexico.
Speaking in an appearance on the Beyond The Grid podcast, Sainz revealed how Ferrari’s decision to replace him meant he “suffered” over the winter, but feels the process ultimately made him a “much better driver”.
“I think at the beginning of the year, I was tested more than I’ve ever been tested before and life put me in a situation that was not comfortable at all,” Sainz commented.
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“I was told that I was not going to continue with the team that I was 99% sure I was going to continue with going into that winter. It was a massive shock to my hopes and I obviously didn’t enjoy that moment.
“I still trained and I still prepared for that season, targeting to be ready to win races, to win a championship if the opportunity presented itself, and I went into that year still full of energy, but obviously with this uncomfortable situation and an uncomfortable moment.”
He continued: “I remember being very emotional on that Australian Grand Prix podium because there was my dad there, there was obviously my manager, my girlfriend, everyone who’s been next to me. I was obviously thinking about my mum.
“They’ve all seen me suffer during the winter. When I say suffer, I don’t mean I was crying behind closed doors, but I was actually hurt. I was hurt because I didn’t expect it. I wasn’t prepared for that kind of news. I was a bit in a shock for a while.
“I remember after Australia thinking how lucky I am to have the people that I have around me, supporting me and giving me that inner strength to overcome what was a tough moment. Now when I look back at it, I’m almost happy, proud that it happened, because it made me a much better driver and a much better athlete in general.”
Sainz made his first appearance for new team Williams at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi
After talks with outfits up and down the grid, Sainz settled on a move to Williams for 2025 and beyond – appearing in their colours for the first time during post-season testing in Abu Dhabi last week.
But despite what happened at the start of the year, the four-time Grand Prix winner has not ruled out one day returning to Ferrari, should the stars align again at some stage in the future.
“Yeah, why not? I don’t see why not,” Sainz said. “At the same time, I cannot see it happening anytime soon. But life is long. I’m 30. You see drivers at 42 in F1, so if I’m in F1 for as long as that, who tells you that in these next 10 years, Ferrari might need my services again in the future?
“This doesn’t mean I wish for it to happen or I’m looking forward to it or anything like that – I have a very big target in my head now, which is help Williams to bring them back to the front of the field – but I don’t think about it too much.”
To listen to the full Beyond The Grid episode and hear Sainz’s thoughts on an array of topics, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.