Carlos Sainz looks back with satisfaction on his four years in Maranello – What makes him “proud” and why 2024 in particular was “a great challenge” for him
For four years, Carlos Sainz drove for Ferrari and, if it had been up to him, he would have liked to have stayed with the Scuderia even longer. But the decision was made in Maranello to replace the Spaniard with Formula One record champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
“Of course I am very proud of my time at Ferrari,” Sainz reveals, and explains: “I am proud that during these four years I helped bring this team back to where it belongs, namely in the fight for the world championship.”
When Sainz joined the Scuderia in 2021, it had just finished the 2020 season in sixth place in the World Championship – its lowest finish in 40 years. In Sainz’s farewell season in 2024, the team was still in the running for the World Championship title until the last race in Abu Dhabi.
In the end, they lost the World Championship battle to McLaren by just 14 points, and although Sainz would have liked to have said goodbye to Ferrari with a title, he “feels that Ferrari is now ready to fight for the World Championship next year.”
“And together with Charles [Leclerc], I honestly believe that they have a very good chance. I think they are one of the favorites next year,” said Sainz, who emphasized once again: ‘I am proud of the four years, but maybe even prouder of this last year.’
Sainz emphasizes: Never lost ‘motivation’
“I think last year [2024] was a very tough year mentally and with the news at the beginning of the year, it was a big challenge to keep the motivation up, to keep the determination up, to last the whole year with a 24-race calendar and not to get too discouraged.”
Because Sainz learned before the first race that there would be no place for him at Ferrari in 2025. That was “a big challenge,” he admits, “to which I reacted with a lot of strength and determination,” says the Spaniard.
“We have seen that it was not easy for any other driver who left a team to maintain this focus and motivation throughout the year. And I managed to do that,” Sainz emphasizes with a certain satisfaction.
His own Formula One career continues in 2025 at Williams, where he will take a step back, at least in the short to medium term. The long-standing team from Grove finished last season in penultimate place in the World Championship.
Because they are not likely to be among the top teams for at least the next year, Sainz can therefore cross his fingers for Ferrari in the 2025 title fight without feeling guilty.
