Ferrari gifts F1-75 to Carlos Sainz, the car of his first F1 victory. Ferrari to gift Carlos Sainz the F1-75 car.

Carlos Sainz’s departure from Ferrari feels like an unfinished story. The Spaniard, who will step aside on January 1, 2025, to make room for Lewis Hamilton, leaves after four seasons during which he impressed everyone with his performance and dedication to the team.

To ease the pain of this transition, which will remain a sensitive issue until Lewis Hamilton achieves his first major result with Ferrari, the team recently surprised Carlos Sainz with a special gesture. They gave him the opportunity to drive two F1-75 cars at Fiorano, the first ground-effect car of the current regulatory era.

The first car, naturally, was for Carlos himself. The second, however, was handed over to his father, Carlos Sainz Sr., a two-time WRC champion and multiple Dakar Rally winner.

That wasn’t all. At the end of the day, Ferrari presented Carlos Sainz Jr. with one of the F1-75 cars he had driven. It was the same car he used to secure the first Formula 1 victory of his career at the 2022 British Grand Prix.

This gesture is a genuine sign of gratitude for Carlos Sainz’s contributions, particularly during the 2024 season, when he knew from January that he would have to leave Maranello at the end of the year to make way for Lewis Hamilton.

His professionalism, commitment, and dedication convinced Ferrari’s leadership to gift him a symbolic car. This was a significant acknowledgment for a driver who, until that victory, had achieved podiums but had never reached the top step—the most prestigious and important accomplishment.

Carlos Sainz thus becomes the third driver to receive a Formula 1 car from Ferrari, following Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari driver from 2015 to 2020) and Fernando Alonso (2010–2014).

“For me, the most emotional moments with Carlos will always be this year’s victory in Australia, coming back after his appendicitis surgery, and last year when he achieved pole position at Monza and won in Singapore (breaking Red Bull’s domination, as they had won every race up to that point),” commented the Team Principal.

“I’ve had two great seasons with Carlos, and I thank him,” concluded Ferrari’s Team Principal.