Carlos Sainz and Ferrari departure: "I don't understand why Red Bull and Mercedes ignored him"

Yesterday at 10:19 AM

F1 ignores Carlos Sainz: after leaving Ferrari, neither Red Bull nor Mercedes choose to sign him. This decision still baffles many in the industry, and it “forced” the Spaniard to join Williams. An ambitious project, certainly aiming high, but one that won't be able to provide #55 with a platform capable of competing for podiums and victories in the short term.

As we well know, F1 is a ruthless sport. It is an environment that rarely shows any mercy to those it involves, no matter who they are. Some decisions follow logic that only becomes clear and evident years later, once the relevant backstories are finally revealed to the public. Carlos Sainz's 2024 season – and his talks with the teams on the grid – would deserve a book of its own.

The Spaniard leaves Ferrari to make room for Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion. A controversial decision, undeniably, but one that is even understandable and “logical.” The situation with other teams, however, is different: the paddock continues to ask why a driver like Sainz, who has proven capable of holding his own next to one of the true gems of the grid [Charles Leclerc], hasn't found a place in a top team.

"Sainz mistreated by Red Bull and Mercedes"
According to Karun Chandhok, interviewed by Betway, the now former Ferrari driver felt mistreated by some teams: "I don't think he holds a grudge against Ferrari: he's being replaced by Lewis Hamilton, who is statistically the greatest of all time, and there was a small window of opportunity for Ferrari to take him. Honestly, any driver would understand that."

"On the other hand, he may feel mistreated by Mercedes and Red Bull, who ignored him. If I were in his shoes, I would feel the same way. I interviewed him in Brazil, and he told me on camera that he was still puzzled and didn't fully understand the decision not to hire him."

"At Williams, he'll bring an enormous amount of experience. He's very fast, and he'll be able to offer them reference points they may not have had for a while. There's James Vowles, who comes from Mercedes, so he also knows a lot of these things. But in the end, Carlos can't make the car faster. He knows he's signed up for a project that will take time before it becomes competitive."

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