Ferrari pulled off one of the most bold and historic driver heists of F1 earlier this month. The Italian outfit signed seven-time world champion and Mercedes loyalist Lewis Hamilton in a multi-year contract starting from 2025. However, Carlos Sainz ended up being the collateral damage of this heist.
The Spaniard, who was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023, was shunted overnight by Ferrari. Needless to say, the surprising turn of events took Sainz by complete surprise. Meanwhile, after the entire saga unfolded, Carlos Sainz spoke about his future for the first time in Bahrain and also called out Ferrari’s hypocrisy.
Carlos Sainz Perplexed With Ferrari’s Sudden Change Of Heart
Everything seemed normal in Mercedes and Ferrari camp at the end of the 2023 F1 season. Lewis Hamilton had signed a two-year extension contract with the Silver Arrows. And on the other hand, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were at the final stage of extension negotiations with Ferrari. However, tables turned drastically over the winter after Hamilton ditched Mercedes and exercised his exit clause to jump to Ferrari for the 2025 season. On the other hand, while Charles signed a multi-year extension contract with Maranello, Sainz was sacrificed to accommodate Hamilton by the Italian outfit. As it stands, Carlos is without a seat from the 2025 season onwards. Needless to say, the Spaniard was unimpressed and called out the red team for the same.
In his latest press conference in Bahrain ahead of the pre-season testing, Carlos Sainz said he expected to sign an extension contract with Ferrari over the winter. However, it is ironic that his future was decided before the first race of the new season. Carlos added that his negotiations talks with the red team were on the right path. And thus, Lewis Hamilton’s move came as a shock to him. “The situation has changed completely to what I thought where we were in October November last year,” said Sainz. It seems the Italian racing outfit kept him in the dark about the whole Hamilton situation. However, despite the heartbreak, the Spanish driver is taking his time to decide on his future. “I am going to give my absolute best to put together a winning project in F1. And to see who gives me that best chance to go,” added Sainz.
Fred Vasseur On Why Ferrari Signed Lewis Hamilton!
In a first public reaction, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said that Lewis Hamilton’s move to the Italian team was completely natural. They wanted to have a driver with a prestigious list of achievements, and who was better than Lewis to fulfill that need? “I think he always had in mind the idea that to close the circle, he should come to Maranello,” said Fred Vasseur.
That being said, the F1 fraternity stands divided on Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari. While many called it a last dance, a few are not happy with the way Carlos Sainz’s situation was handled. He was left in the dark to figure out his future all alone. Regardless, as the 2024 season unfolds, dynamics are set to change once again drastically.
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