Among the many hugs, the strongest came from his father, Carlos. Sainz’s farewell to Ferrari is a high-profile one, very different from Kimi Raikkonen’s departure in 2019 or Sebastian Vettel’s a year later. In both cases, the story was effectively over, as the stopwatch and even the drivers’ motivations revealed. In Sainz’s case, there’s no sign of decline; his story is one that has simply been interrupted. In an ideal world, Ferrari would field three cars next season, the only way to reconcile the valid reasons for signing Lewis Hamilton with what the track has demonstrated about Sainz’s value.
But there are only two cars, leaving a bitter aftertaste. In 2021, Carlos arrived in Maranello with two podiums and many question marks; four years later, he leaves as a solid professional with everything needed to secure a spot in a top team. The most jarring aspect of Carlos Sainz’s 2024 isn’t so much his separation from Ferrari, ultimately justified by the caliber of his replacement, but rather the “no, thank you” responses from Red Bull, Mercedes, and Aston Martin. These teams preferred two young drivers (Liam Lawson and Kimi Antonelli) and an over-40, Fernando Alonso, who recently signed a two-year extension, keeping him in F1 until age 45. This scenario forced Carlos Sainz to join Williams, at least temporarily stepping out of the circle of drivers competing for podiums.
On Sunday at Yas Marina, Carlos kept his emotions about his last day in red to himself, successfully concealing them—or so it seemed. “Did I get emotional? Maybe, but you won’t know. Perhaps while I was under the helmet, perhaps in the minutes before the start, or perhaps on the cooldown lap after the checkered flag. You’ll probably never know, but I can tell you… yes, there was a moment when I got emotional, but I’m keeping it for myself and my team.”
“Maybe I’m acting a little,” Carlos continued with a smile, “I might have learned it from Brad Pitt this weekend! But honestly, I can say that as long as there’s work to be done, the brain doesn’t allow you to be emotional; competitiveness takes over. However, there were moments today when I felt emotional, and fortunately, you couldn’t see it.”
After the race, during his final press conference in a Ferrari suit, Sainz managed his emotions perfectly, reflecting on his time at Maranello. “I feel very proud of my period at Ferrari. Over four years, I believe I’ve helped bring this team back to where it belongs—fighting for world championships. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage it this year, but I feel Ferrari is ready and will be one of the favorites at the start of the 2025 season.”
“I am proud of what I have achieved over four seasons, but especially of this last championship. It was mentally very tough for me; it wasn’t easy to keep the motivation and determination needed to always push to the maximum. We’ve seen that it’s not easy for any driver in my situation to maintain a good level of focus throughout the year, but I managed to do it.”
As it should have been, Carlos Sainz concluded his final Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver by stepping onto the podium. Carlos is aware that his next trophy could take a long time to come, but he has accounted for this possibility. “I certainly can’t know what the future holds for me, nor can I predict how long it will take Williams to fight for a podium position. What I can confirm is that I am more determined than ever to bring Williams back to where it belongs. But today, it’s impossible to know how long it will take. I know one of my strengths is helping a team achieve better performances and understanding which directions to follow.”
In his final press conference in red overalls, Carlos was joined by Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, two former teammates. When they were asked if they would miss Carlos Sainz’s presence in the fight for top positions next year, a humorous exchange unfolded. “Yes, I’ll miss Carlos,” Lando Norris remarked, only to be interrupted by Carlos Sainz: “I don’t think you’ll miss me; tell the truth, you think it’s better this way.”
In the end, Lando admitted with a smile: “Well, it’s one less formidable and fast opponent; it’s better that he’s not in a fast car!” Then Norris became serious again: “I know Carlos well. When I started racing in Formula 1, he was my teammate, and I know his worth. But he’ll be back. Williams is growing, he’ll bring a lot of experience, and he’ll add something important. You’ll see, he’ll be back with us sooner than you think.”
— see video above —
