Carlos Sainz shares feelings he experienced during his final laps as Ferrari driver in F1 Abu Dhabi GP. Carlos Sainz shared the feelings he experienced during his final laps as a Ferrari driver in the Abu Dhabi GP.

From Ferrari to Williams, a tough battle in the midfield awaits Carlos Sainz, now a driver for the English team. The Spaniard recounted his emotions during the final laps of the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP. Alongside the bittersweet farewell to the Scuderia, Carlos Sainz displayed moments of clarity, already focused on helping the Grove-based team.

A stellar performance from the two Ferrari drivers in Abu Dhabi wasn’t enough. Carlos and Charles pushed hard to put pressure on a McLaren—Lando Norris’s—that never faltered despite challenges. The British Papaya team triumphed, leaving Carlos Sainz to part ways with Ferrari—with no small amount of disappointment—without achieving the ultimate dream of a world title.

After the race in the Emirates, the Spanish driver shared his thoughts on those final laps at the wheel of the Maranello machine. Already on Monday and Tuesday, immediately following the season’s last weekend, the Spanish driver will don Williams blue to test his new car. “I don’t think it will be too difficult to turn the page,” an emotional Carlos Sainz admitted. “But I won’t lie—during my last laps, while pushing like mad for this team, I was already starting to feel certain things about the car, telling myself: ‘Remember how it feels.’ On Monday and Tuesday, I’ll need to remember why this car is fast in certain corners and why the feeling is good.”

Even in the final kilometers at Yas Marina, Carlos Sainz was thinking about the hard work awaiting him in 2025. Williams concluded the season with only 17 points, finishing second to last in the Constructors’ Championship. “I know the car I’ll find on Monday and Tuesday will likely have a lot of room for improvement in the corners. That’s to say, I’m already looking ahead.”

“I’m extremely motivated for the challenge that lies ahead,” the #55 driver said during the post-race press conference. “Today (Sunday after the race) I’ll enjoy this last day in red with this team as much as possible. We’ll still have a few days in Maranello, but of course, my focus is already on understanding how to improve the Williams car.”