Carlos Sainz feels Ferrari “need to recover 4-5 tenths to Red Bull” with SF-24 car. Carlos Sainz is about to start his final season for Ferrari.

On track in Bahrain this afternoon

After observing his teammate Charles Leclerc drive in the morning session, Carlos Sainz will take the wheel of the new SF-24 this afternoon. For the Spaniard, this truly marks the beginning of his last season as a Ferrari driver. The announcement on February 1st, revealing Lewis Hamilton’s entry into the Scuderia starting from the 2025 season, also confirmed the definitive separation between the Spanish driver #55 and the Prancing Horse.

4-5 tenths to recover

Today, before getting behind the wheel, Carlos Sainz spoke in a press conference to the journalists present at the Bahrain circuit. Inevitable questions about his future in the sport were raised, to which the Iberian driver – accompanied by his father Carlos Sr., the recent winner of Dakar 2024, in Sakhir – responded candidly. “At the moment, the feelings I’m experiencing aren’t yet that special,” said Carlos Sainz. “There are still 24 races ahead of us. But when the last weekend as a Ferrari driver arrives, it will certainly be exciting. SF-24? Last year, we were four or five tenths behind the race pace. With a different approach and a different car, this year we need to close that gap.”

Seeking a better future

“The fans have me in their hearts, and I’ve always felt very comfortable here. I’ll do my best. It seemed like everything was heading in the right direction for me to renew, but in the end, it didn’t happen. I have no idea where I’ll be in the future. I’ll seek the best option not only for 2025 but also for 2026,” he added. There are several teams where the Spaniard could land in 2025: from Sauber, set to become Audi in 2026, to post-Hamilton Mercedes. But a realistic option is also Aston Martin if Fernando Alonso leaves the team to replace Lewis Hamilton at Brackley.