"Maybe just tear Ferrari apart": Carlos Sainz on how a driver 'with a big ego' would have handled being replaced by Lewis Hamilton last year

Carlos Sainz shared how he felt after Ferrari decided to drop him and bring Lewis Hamilton as the replacement. Speaking about this in a recent interview, the Spanish driver stated how a 'driver with a big ego' would have wanted to "tear" Ferrari apart, but he being an utmost professional, refrained from carrying out any such action.

In February 2024, Ferrari announced that they had signed Hamilton from Mercedes on a multi-year deal, which will see him come to Maranello and race alongside Charles Leclerc. To make room for Hamilton, the Prancing Horse sacrificed Sainz, who has been very successful for the Italian team in recent times.

However, the timing of the announcement irked some as they announced Hamilton just before the 2024 season. For Sainz, it was a bitter pill to swallow since he was about to start a season with a team that would drop him at the end of the year.

Even though Sainz accepted the reality and welcomed the decision back then, around one and a half years later, he addressed the ordeal again and shared his thoughts. Speaking about this in the recent High Performance Podcast, here's what the Spaniard said:

“I understand how a driver with a big ego would maybe just like to tear Ferrari apart that year and maybe become a bit political or become a bit of an infection inside the team."

Following this, he revealed that he wanted to maintain utmost professionalism, respect the team and its crew, and bow out of the Prancing Horse with dignity:

"We all have an angel and a demon – and the demon was like, ‘There are so many things I would like to say or do or change.'" “But my angel was more powerful at that time and said, ‘No, don’t be that guy, be the professional guy, be the guy that’s just going to give absolutely everything until the last race for this team, and give everyone that has nothing to do with that decision'," he further added.

Carlos Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021 after his impressive stint with McLaren was over at the end of 2020. In the four years that he raced for the Maranello-based team, he racked up four wins, 25 podiums, and six pole positions.

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Carlos Sainz was left surprised by sudden Lewis Hamilton announcement

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc - Source: Getty

Carlos Sainz was in the middle of a contract negotiation with Ferrari, and during this time, the Prancing Horse shared the announcement about Lewis Hamilton. This not only shocked the Spaniard but also put his future in jeopardy.

“I was in the middle of negotiations with Ferrari, everything seemed to be going in the right direction and suddenly this news arrived to me,” he told Sky F1. "It was completely unexpected and a huge turnaround in the way that suddenly my career was going to plan out.”

In 2025, Sainz joined Williams on a multi-year deal to race with Alex Albon and under the guidance of James Vowles. Currently, he is in P15 with 13 points after 12 races and two sprints.

Edited by Mitali