Carlos Sainz was given an emotional send-off by Ferrari as he prepares for his transfer to Williams forward of the 2025 Method 1 season.
The Spanish driver has spent the final 4 seasons alongside Charles Leclerc on the Italian crew and shall be changed by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for the upcoming yr.
In his last season with the Maranello crew, Carlos Sainz managed to safe two race wins, together with a exceptional victory on the Australian Grand Prix, simply weeks after recovering from appendicitis surgical procedure. Nonetheless, he now faces a brand new problem with Williams as he joins forces with Alex Albon to assist return the crew to prominence, aiming to finish a 20-year championship drought. Lando Norris believes Carlos Sainz’s addition will elevate Williams right into a high contender, a view supported by Carlos Sainz’s confirmed potential to guide each McLaren and Ferrari towards the entrance of the grid in recent times.
Whereas rapid success within the Constructors’ Championship could also be out of attain, there’s loads of potential for long-term progress on the Grove-based crew.
Carlos Sainz’s Father Spins Ferrari F1 Automotive Throughout Farewell Laps
In response to former Haas crew principal Guenther Steiner, Williams has secured a “lottery win” by signing Carlos Sainz, whose race-winning expertise and deep information of automobile growth shall be invaluable for a crew working to enhance within the midfield.
Nonetheless, the journey is not going to be straightforward. New crew principal James Vowles has acknowledged that the 2025 season will focus extra on studying and growth than rapid outcomes, with 2026 being seen because the yr to make important strides.
As a part of his farewell from Ferrari, Carlos Sainz and his father got the chance to drive two SF-75 vehicles across the legendary Fiorano check monitor. Ferrari’s press launch famous an amusing second throughout the farewell laps when Carlos Sainz’s father spun the automobile, however he rapidly regained management and continued to finish laps with robust tempo: “Though he spun the automobile, Senior quickly discovered his rhythm, finishing a number of runs doing constant lap occasions. At mid-morning, his son additionally went out on monitor, reacquainting himself with the automobile with which he took his maiden Method 1 win on the 2022 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.” – Ferrari’s press launch revealed.
Is Lewis Hamilton a Stronger Choice for Ferrari Than Carlos Sainz?
Ferrari is at the moment adopting a “win now” mentality, having lastly developed a automobile able to competing constantly for the championship throughout a variety of circuits.
Traditionally, Ferrari has confronted challenges with automobile growth because the season progresses, however they seem to have overcome this hurdle, having taken the Constructors’ Championship battle all the way down to the wire at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this yr.
Whereas they weren’t as shut within the Drivers’ Championship combat, the addition of Mercedes’ star drivers, together with Lewis Hamilton, is anticipated to strengthen their possibilities on this space. Even Pink Bull’s Helmut Marko has praised Lewis Hamilton as “world-class,” acknowledging that the British driver has demonstrated for almost 20 years his potential to win and relentlessly problem his rivals.
Constructing a profitable partnership will take time, and it’ll rely upon the Maranello crew discovering a setup that fits Lewis Hamilton’s driving model. Nonetheless, if they’re able to unlock that potential, it might propel the crew to new heights.
This potential for achievement is probably going a key cause why the seven-time Method 1 world champion selected the Italian aspect, and it could clarify why the crew believes their possibilities of profitable are larger with him onboard in comparison with Carlos Sainz.