Mario Andretti expresses regret for 'sacrificed' Carlos Sainz and reacts to new Ferrari F1 line-up
Yesterday at 05:42 PM
Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, expressed sympathy for Carlos Sainz as the Spanish driver prepares to leave Scuderia Ferrari after the final three races of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. At the start of the year, the Italian side informed Carlos Sainz that his time with the team would end after the current F1 campaign, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton set to take his place starting with the 2025 season.
Carlos Sainz, who joined the Maranello team in 2021, has secured four Grand Prix wins during his time with the iconic Italian team. While Mario Andretti is eager to see Lewis Hamilton race for Ferrari, he also recognized that Carlos Sainz has faced a tough situation.
"It is great to see a driver like Hamilton coming to Ferrari," the American-Italian former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from 1968 to 1982, said in a recent interview with the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I am sure he will bring a lot of knowledge, after a whole career spent working with British teams, and also a lot of interest from the fans for this new phase in his life. On the other hand, however, I have to say that I feel very sorry for Carlos Sainz, who in recent years has shown that he can fight at the highest level and is often on a par with Charles Leclerc. I think he has been a bit sacrificed and I am sorry that he has not found a top team for his future in Formula 1." – the former Ferrari driver explained.
The British driver will become Charles Leclerc’s fourth full-time teammate at Ferrari, a team the Monegasque joined at the beginning of the 2019 Formula 1 season. However, Lewis Hamilton will be the most experienced and successful driver Charles Leclerc has ever partnered with, boasting more than 100 Grand Prix victories.
And Mario Andretti believes Charles Leclerc will have much to learn from the 30-year-old, as they team up to help Ferrari regain its position at the front of the grid: “Everyone experiences things differently and you would need to know all the details of the deal to know Leclerc’s position. What is certain is that it will be a big boost for Charles next year to have a champion like Hamilton by his side. Next season we will also have a lot of rookies on track, like Kimi Antonelli making his Mercedes debut at only 18 years old." – Mario Andretti concluded.
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