Carlos Sainz details his personal conflict before being replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari

Carlos Sainz Reveals Personal Struggles After Losing Ferrari Seat to Lewis Hamilton and Responds to Red Bull Snub

Carlos Sainz Júnior has handled his departure from Scuderia Ferrari with grace and professionalism, despite losing his seat at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. While many drivers might have lashed out or stirred controversy after such a setback, the Spanish driver has taken a more composed and reflective path.

Lewis Hamilton, who made the high-profile move from Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team to Ferrari in 2025, has yet to hit the ground running in Maranello. At the midway point of the current Formula 1 season, Hamilton trails Charles Leclerc significantly in qualifying and race-day head-to-heads. Excluding Sprint events, Hamilton has only outperformed his Ferrari teammate in 6 out of 23 competitive sessions, giving him a success rate of just 26%. Although Charles Leclerc also outscored Carlos Sainz in 2023, that margin was narrower at 27-17, with Sainz managing to beat Charles Leclerc in roughly 39% of those sessions.

Despite these statistics offering Sainz a clear opportunity to criticize Ferrari’s decision, the 30-year-old Spaniard has refrained from fueling any controversy. Instead, he has concentrated on adapting to life at Williams Racing, where his early results have been modest. Though he is enduring a challenging adjustment period, Carlos Sainz remains optimistic about the future and has expressed his hope to return to race-winning form within the next few years.

Carlos Sainz Opens Up About His Emotional Reaction to Being Dropped by Ferrari
Carlos Sainz recently spoke candidly on the High Performance Podcast, reflecting on the emotional rollercoaster he experienced during his final season with Scuderia Ferrari. He admitted to feeling torn after the announcement that Lewis Hamilton would be taking over his seat, revealing that he battled an intense inner conflict.

He described the internal struggle as a battle between his better judgment and darker impulses. According to Sainz, a part of him—his “inner demon,” as he called it—wanted to “set Ferrari on fire” and sabotage the team after feeling betrayed by the decision made by upper management. However, he said that a stronger sense of professionalism ultimately prevailed.

Carlos Sainz acknowledged that the decision to replace him came from the executive leadership at Ferrari, not from the hundreds of employees and engineers who had worked alongside him throughout his tenure with the team. Turning against the team, he realized, would only punish those who had nothing to do with the decision. Instead of becoming a disruptive force, he chose to remain committed and to deliver top-level performances until his final race in red.

That professionalism translated into results on the track. Carlos Sainz ended the 2024 season with two Grand Prix victories and nine podium finishes, equaling his career-best results. He finished fifth in the drivers’ championship standings with just under 300 points—a season that demonstrated his value and consistency even amid significant personal disappointment.

Red Bull’s Decision to Overlook Sainz Still Baffles the Spaniard
Despite his strong performances and available status for 2025, Carlos Sainz was also passed over by Red Bull Racing. The team, which had an opening for the upcoming season, chose not to bring back their former Toro Rosso driver, instead opting for a different direction.

The reasoning given by Red Bull leadership centered around concerns that pairing Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen could reignite tensions from their 2015 partnership at Toro Rosso. Team advisors reportedly feared that bringing the two drivers together again might cause friction in the garage and destabilize the team atmosphere—something Red Bull could ill afford given the internal instability following the departure of Christian Horner.

Carlos Sainz, however, expressed his confusion at Red Bull’s stance. He emphasized that he currently enjoys a very positive and respectful relationship with Max Verstappen. According to Sainz, any rivalry from their early careers has long been put behind them. He firmly believes that, had the opportunity arisen, the two could have formed a “very strong” driver pairing—so long as he could adapt to the challenging driving characteristics of the Red Bull RB car.

Looking Ahead: A New Chapter with Williams
As the 2025 season progresses, Carlos Sainz remains focused on making the most of his new chapter with Williams Racing. Although results have not yet matched his personal expectations—he has not finished higher than eighth place this year—he continues to show resilience and a willingness to contribute to the team’s rebuilding process.

While speculation may continue around whether Ferrari made the right decision in choosing Lewis Hamilton, or whether Red Bull missed an opportunity to reunite Verstappen and Sainz, the Spanish driver appears content to let his on-track performances do the talking. With a calm head and professional demeanor, Carlos Sainz Júnior has proven that even in the face of rejection, a driver’s response can still earn widespread respect.