Carlos Sainz shows true colours as axed Ferrari driver gives Lewis Hamilton verdict | F1 | Sport
Carlos Sainz admits Ferrari have an even greater chance of winning a world championship now that Lewis Hamilton has replaced him. The Spaniard gracefully stepped aside to allow the seven-time world champion to make a dream move from Mercedes.
Sainz, who has now joined Williams, was the man sacrificed from the Scuderia team when it was announced last year that Hamilton had signed a blockbuster deal. Charles Leclerc has been the more consistent driver at Ferrari over the last few years, despite Sainz landing several race wins.
The 30-year-old has shown no bitterness about his exit from Ferrari, though. He expects Hamilton and Leclerc to challenge the likes of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for the World Drivers’ Championship in the upcoming season.
“When I left Ferrari I did feel the team and Charles were ready to fight for a world championship and with Lewis joining that chance is only going to increase,” Sainz said.
“When I look at Lewis’s results and his background and what he has achieved, I can only say that there will be a very high chance that he is going to be competitive for Ferrari. But like everything, it will all depend on how well he can adapt to the car and how well he can adapt to the team.”
Hamilton likely feels a new lease of life after several difficult seasons with Mercedes. The Silver Arrows came nowhere close to consistently challenging Verstappen and Norris last season.
Performance issues with a succession of cars and inconsistency from Hamilton and George Russell saw Mercedes struggle.
Hamilton is hoping to return to the top of the sport and can win a record eighth world title if he succeeds. He appears to have settled in seamlessly and delivered his first message in Italian to Ferrari staff at their Maranello base.
“Hello everyone, thank you for your warm welcome. I am happy to start this new adventure with you at Ferrari,” the speech – translated back into English – began.
“It has always been my dream to be part of this team. I can’t wait to work with you, thank you.”
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali warned Hamilton that it would be “essential” for him to learn Italian, saying: “He is learning Italian to understand how to integrate into our culture. I told him it is also essential for him to be able to do that. At Ferrari, he will be in a different environment [than what he is used to].”
