Carlos Sainz feels “the four most important years of my F1 career are ahead of me”. Carlos Sainz shared his perspectives on his final season with Scuderia Ferrari.

During the presentation of the SF-24, Carlos Sainz shared his perspectives on what will be his final season in red. The Spanish driver expressed serenity about his future away from Maranello, stating that he is in a privileged position due to the experience gained in his three (soon to be four) years with Ferrari. Carlos Sainz also conveyed confidence in Ferrari’s preparation work, offering insights into what could be his and the Maranello team’s season.

“Obviously, my phone has been quite busy lately, especially in the last two weeks, where I received many supportive and encouraging messages that have been of great help,” commented Carlos Sainz, a central figure in the most intense winter break of his career. The arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Maranello in 2025 certainly didn’t place him in the desired position, as he had expressed last year, stating his wish to know his future before the start of the championship. “Like it was for the entire world of F1, it was, of course, a surprise for me as well,” said the Spaniard. “As you can imagine, I got the news a bit earlier than anyone else, but then I had a few weeks to reflect on it. This gave me time to digest it, draw my conclusions, and start focusing on the 2024 season.” – he pointed out.

Carlos Sainz then explained that he doesn’t feel worried about an uncertain future, at least for now, fortified by the extensive experience gained during his years in the red outfit. “I think I’m privileged; I still have a year with Ferrari, and once you’ve been a Ferrari driver, you can do well anywhere. It’s something that I think benefits any driver on the grid.” Sainz expressed satisfaction with the work done so far at Ferrari, stating that, from his perspective, he has given his best to propel the team forward. While the red chapter did not provide him with a championship-winning car, the Spaniard achieved poles and victories behind the wheel of the Ferrari and affirmed his readiness to fight for significant results if the SF-24 allows.

Outlook on Ferrari’s 2024 F1 Season

The 2024 season for Ferrari begins after a promising end to the previous season, providing positive signs that boost confidence for the upcoming championship starting in Bahrain in two weeks. “Obviously, Red Bull and Verstappen are clearly the favorites for this year’s title due to the advantage they had last year and potentially how early they started developing the 2024 car. But last season, we had a positive end to the season, so we feel confident and want to start the year as we finished last year, with good progress.” For Ferrari, the new season could be an opportunity for further advancement, despite Red Bull’s acknowledged strength.

According to Carlos Sainz, the momentum comes from the team’s working methodology. He expressed confidence that weaknesses identified last year have been pinpointed, with efforts to convert them into positive notes. “I trust in a more performant car because that would allow us to shine a bit more in races, where we certainly struggled more last year. With a better car, we have the chance to improve races, strategies, and overtaking because last year I had to defend my position a lot, and I did well in defense but not well enough in overtaking.” If such an improvement in the car occurs, it would be a significant advantage on all fronts. “I’ve seen the mindset and work ethic behind all this, and I like the working method we’ve had at Ferrari in the last 6, 8, 10 months, developing this car. But it’s impossible to say if this car suits my style, but we want the car to be more drivable.” – the Spaniard continued.

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These statements reveal a considerable amount of encouragement for the upcoming championship from Carlos Sainz, who also mentioned personal growth in communication within the team. A package of improvements across multiple aspects.

The Spanish driver then offered his perspective on a potential competition with his teammate: “I’ve always been a team player, exemplary in this sense, for any team I’ve driven for. I will certainly help Charles if necessary, in the same way I expect Charles to help me.” An opinion expressed without much ambiguity by the Spaniard, who reiterated that, in his view, the Ferrari experience will not be the last chance to fight for the championship:

“It’s an important year for me because I still wear red, and I still have the goal of becoming a champion with Ferrari, but I’m ready for whatever happens.” Regarding the decision related to his future at the end of 2024, he stated, “As much as I wanted to know my future before the first race, I think it will probably be a longer process. I have the three or four most important years of my career ahead of me. I want to make sure I’m in the right place at the right time, so I’ll take my time to think about it and explore all options.” In conclusion, the Spanish driver expressed a favorable view of the recent changes introduced by the F1 Commission, from the switch to four seasonal power units to the early use of DRS in races and the revision of the sprint format, on which he said, “Last year, when the car went into parc fermé right after FP1, and nothing could be changed, it meant staying on the defensive for the rest of the weekend, which made no sense to me. I think a driver and a team should always have the chance to try to change things on the car if something doesn’t work as expected.”