Carlos Sainz has come to Lewis Hamilton’s defense after the seven-time world champion’s difficult start with Ferrari, calling the criticism he has received so far “unfair.” After 12 years driving for Mercedes, the move to Maranello marked a major milestone in the Briton’s career, but also a challenge not without obstacles.
In an interview with Crash.net, Carlos Sainz – now driving for Williams – emphasized how natural it is to face a period of adaptation after switching teams. “The adaptation issues are real for him, for me, for Nico Hülkenberg. They’re real for any driver, even rookies. They come in with a ‘clean slate’; we have muscle memory from three or four years with a different car, so everything feels strange.”
Sainz breaks his silence and shares his thoughts on Hamilton
Carlos Sainz explained that changing teams after a long time is a true revolution for a driver: “Everything is new for Lewis. Twelve years with the same team creates deep habits. Even for me, in the first GPs with Williams, everything felt off.”
When asked whether it is too soon to evaluate Hamilton’s time at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz replied clearly: “Judging a driver after six or seven races is unfair. It takes time. Only in a few years will we be able to say how it went for me at Williams, for him at Ferrari, and for Hülkenberg at Sauber/Audi.”
Carlos Sainz then spoke about his own journey at Williams, where he has found satisfaction through working with the team and the changes made: “Five races ago, beating a Ferrari in qualifying was unthinkable. We changed my driving style, modified the car, and the team listened to my feedback. That made the difference.”
According to Carlos Sainz, the comparison with Ferrari is secondary: “Beating a Ferrari is just a consequence of the work we’re doing. The real satisfaction comes from the team’s progress.”
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