F1 VIDEO: Carlos Sainz Joins Father In Emotional Ferrari Farewell With Fiorano Drive

Carlos Sainz Jr. bid an emotional farewell to Ferrari with a symbolic Fiorano drive alongside his father, as he prepares to join Williams in 2025.

Nov 23, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (55) celebrates after placing third in the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Carlos Sainz Jr. orchestrated a moving farewell to his tenure with Ferrari, taking to the historic Fiorano circuit alongside a special companion—his father, Carlos Sainz Sr. This poignant event not only marked the conclusion of Sainz Jr.'s association with Ferrari but also served as an unexpected milestone for his father, who experienced the thrill of a Formula 1 car firsthand, an unexpected first in his illustrious racing career.

The decision for Carlos Sainz Jr. to leave Ferrari follows the acquisition of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season. Subsequent negotiations saw the Spanish driver exploring opportunities with top-tier teams such as Red Bull and Mercedes. However, with Red Bull opting to extend Sergio Perez's contract and Mercedes showing interest in F2 prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Sainz found himself pursuing alternative avenues.

Father and son on track, what a way to sign off 🙌#ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/2C1eSwUcBb

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) December 17, 2024

Sainz seized the opportunity to join Williams, a team undergoing a substantial overhaul under the stewardship of James Vowles. Sainz will team up with Alex Albon, forming one of the most experienced and promising line-ups on the grid. Reflecting on this transition, Sainz has embraced the change, acknowledging the unique challenges and opportunities it presents. He explained earlier in the year:

“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.

“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.”

Joining Sainz Jr. and Sr. was Charles Leclerc who has shared heartfelt messages about his time as Sainz's teammate. The Monegasque driver explained:

“Straight from the beginning we had a natural bond that was created straight away. He’s a super nice guy, super easy to get on with. Straight away we understood that we had a lot of interests in common outside of racing and that helped us to initiate the discussion, speaking about other things.

“I’ve always said that port brings people together and now I can call him a friend outside of racing. He’s a really good person.

“One thing that he will definitely bring (to Williams), and not many people can say the same, is his level of talent. The talent he has is absolutely extraordinary. And I think that will uplift Williams for sure.

“And they will benefit from it a lot, as well as a super strong, a very hard-working driver, really good at analysing the situations.

“I just wish him the best. We’ve had some very, very good years together. Outside the track, he’s always been incredible on the track.

“Sometimes we’ve had our moments where it was a bit more tense, but we always came out of it and spoke directly to each other, and we grew from it and it made us closer than before. It was a very successful driver pairing, and I just wish him the absolute best. He deserves it.

“I think the thing that I will miss the most from Carlos is just… Carlos.”