F1 News: Carlos Sainz Opens Up On Ferrari Exit - 'Couldn't Understand It'

Saajan Jogia | Nov 12, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) of Team Spain before the start of the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has revealed that "he is at peace" with the fact that he wasn't signed by top rival teams such as Mercedes and Red Bull following Ferrari's contract with Lewis Hamilton. Eventually, he signed with the Williams F1 team after much analysis and remains eager to join the team in 2025.

The seven-time world champion's revelation about signing with Ferrari in February for the next season shook the driver market greatly, with most teams eventually opting for a wait-and-watch approach for several months before making their moves.

Sainz also opted for a similar strategy while reportedly being in talks with Red Bull and Mercedes ahead of the summer break. However, the absence of concrete development taking place was a worrying factor since Red Bull extended Sergio Perez's contract, while Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was inclined toward signing F2 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Sainz, who was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last year, was in a position where a lack of opportunities in the top teams could have left him without a seat for the next season if it weren't for Williams.

Led by James Vowles, the Grove-based outfit was eager to sign a top talent like Sainz who could elevate the team's position in the championship as it goes through a phase of transformation to contend with the top teams in the new era of regulations from 2026.

Sainz was convinced by Vowles' plan and determination to uplift the team to high standards, which led him to announce the new partnership just as the sport closed for the summer break. However, the Spaniard revealed that it was tough to come to terms with the reality of not signing with the top teams. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, as quoted by Motorsportweek, he said:

“I’ve definitely come to peace, and I am a true believer that if I’m not going there, it’s because life just doesn’t want me to be there.

“There’s something else coming after that, that will actually turn out to be good.

“It hurt at the time, we all have egos, and I have a driver ego, and I couldn’t understand it at the time.”

Sainz added that he was now eager to return the faith and belief that Williams showed in him. He said:

“Williams is the one that has invested in me, that have backed me up from the beginning, the ones that came to me a full year ago, and that actually makes me super excited.

“I said, ‘I want to give to these guys what they’ve given to me. Give back to them this trust and this belief in me’.

“I cannot wait to go there and, together with them, build something good.”