Carlos Sainz on leaving Ferrari: "I wasn't ready, it was a shock"
Today at 01:04 PM
Carlos Sainz recently opened up about his emotions with Ferrari: the Spaniard concluded his fourth and final season with the Scuderia, and the feelings he experienced not just in Abu Dhabi but throughout the entire championship were conflicting. On the podcast *Beyond the Grid*, he revealed how he was confident he would extend his contract with Ferrari before the team signed an agreement with Lewis Hamilton: “I was told I wouldn't continue with the team I was 99% sure I would stay with before that winter. It was a huge shock to my hopes, and obviously, I didn't enjoy that moment. I kept training and preparing for that season, aiming to be ready to win races, to win a championship if the opportunity arose.” – the future Williams driver pointed out.
The Spaniard also admitted that he later understood Ferrari's choice, given the arrival of a seven-time world champion like Lewis Hamilton. However, the 2024 season began with significant difficulties due to an appendicitis surgery that forced Carlos Sainz to miss the Saudi Arabian GP. At the next round in Melbourne, the Spaniard delivered a stunning victory, which, as he admitted in the interview, he will always cherish.
“I remember being very emotional on that podium at the Australian Grand Prix because my father, my manager, my girlfriend, and everyone who had supported me were there. Of course, I was thinking about my mother. They all saw me suffer during the winter. When I say suffer, I don't mean crying behind closed doors, but I was truly hurt. I stayed a bit in shock for a while. I remember after Australia thinking about how lucky I was to have the people I had around me, supporting me and giving me the inner strength to overcome what had been a tough moment. Now, when I think back, I'm almost happy, proud that it happened because it made me a better driver,” he concluded.
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