The departure of Carlos Sainz from Ferrari was traumatic for the Spanish driver due to the manner in which it occurred. Before the start of the 2024 F1 World Championship, it was announced that Hamilton would drive for Ferrari in 2025, replacing the Madrid native. Despite this, Carlos Sainz’s behavior was exemplary and he completed a great season with several important victories. His move to Williams was a step back in his career, but, as is often the case in F1, the FW47 works, and works very well, and now it’s time to get back in the game.
Earthquake at Ferrari
Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari is far from what was expected. The SF-24’s performance is well below expectations, well below last year’s car, which finished the races as the best car on the grid. And Hamilton’s adaptation is also well below expectations, as he has not quite got to grips with his new team. But the most worrying thing is that the English driver has started to act up and seems to have found someone to blame: his own team. Several races ago, he hinted that his SF-24 setup was different from Charles Leclerc’s, that it was worse and that it was costing him speed. But in Miami, the beast exploded with accusations that have resonated around the world.
During Miami, he was behind his teammate, who had more pace, and asked for a pass over the radio, not in the best way. “I’m burning my tires behind him.” “Do you want me to sit here for the whole race?”
From the pits, he was asked to stay close to Leclerc’s DRS, but Hamilton’s response was harsh: ”This is not good teamwork, that’s all I’m going to say.” He followed up with, “Ah! Take a break and have some tea!”
Finally, the team let him pass his teammate, but when they saw that he wasn’t making any progress, they asked him to give up his position before the finish line, which he did. Behind him, Carlos Sainz was closing in. ”Do you want me to let him pass too?”
Carlos Sainz and his showdown with Ferrari
The truth is that the evolution of Williams this season is as incredible as it is unthinkable. The FW47 was the third car on the grid in Miami. It lacked the experience and composure to manage the race, but Albon managed an important fifth place and Carlo Sainz, ninth, behind the Ferraris, with a damaged car and a strategy that hurt him, but having outqualified both of them on Saturday. But he knows that today he is in a position he did not expect to be in, fighting head-to-head with Ferrari.
Behind the calm and collected facade he shows off the track, Carlos Sainz is a fighter and a winner, and he has been presented with the opportunity to knock Ferrari off its perch this season, and where it counts most, where it hurts most, on the track. The Madrid-born driver has a great opportunity to redeem himself against the team for which he gave his all and which left him out of the team despite his excellent performance, and he does not want to let this opportunity pass him by. At Ferrari, there is already talk of a bad decision by the team (easy to say now), but the truth is that Ferrari, with the difficulties it has been facing for years, is experiencing a new earthquake with the arrival of the seven-time world champion, while with Carlos Sainz everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Now it’s Carlos Sainz’s turn to settle the score and deal a blow to his former team, the team he gave his all for, the team that kept him in limbo for a year, initially snubbed him, and in the end had no choice but to surrender to his professionalism.