Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Spanish Carlos Sainz is set to part ways with the Maranello team at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign, marking the conclusion of his four-year partnership with engineer Riccardo Adami.
Riccardo Adami has been Carlos Sainz’s main race engineer at Ferrari since the Spanish driver joined the Italian side by replacing four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel and is frequently heard on the team radio speaking to him during a Grand Prix. While the pair have shared some humorous exchanges over the years, they have also built a strong professional bond.
The duo will contest their final race together at Ferrari in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before Carlos Sainz is replaced by Lewis Hamilton, while the Spaniard moves to Williams.
Carlos Sainz acknowledged the reason behind Ferrari’s decision to replace him with Lewis Hamilton, and Riccardo Adami, speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, emphasized that this decision reflects nothing negative about Sainz’s character.
Carlos Sainz, described as a “hard worker” with a focus on “details,” has formed a close working relationship with his engineer. Drivers often develop a strong bond with their engineers, as they are the first point of contact when issues arise with the car, making their collaboration unique.
Since joining Ferrari in 2021, the Spanish driver has secured five Grand Prix victories, including his first win at Silverstone and his remarkable comeback victory at Melbourne earlier this year.
Although Carlos Sainz has been out-qualified by Leclerc in all four of their seasons as teammates, Riccardo Adami believes the Spaniard is one of the hardest-working drivers in the Formula 1 paddock: “I say, he is a very hard worker. The level of details that we are looking together and developing the car and the setup, I would say that is his strength. What I’ve noticed is the cause and action, so he’s able to understand technical stuff and then applying driving. That is not easy, you know, it’s easy to say, but then to do it is another thing.” – the Spanish engineer explained.
Red Bull did Carlos Sainz a ‘favour’ by overlooking him for the 2025 seat
Carlos Sainz became a free agent when the news of Lewis Hamilton’s move broke at the start of the season, triggering months of speculation about where he would land on the grid. Red Bull emerged as a potential destination for the Spanish driver amid a string of poor performances from Sergio Perez, and now Carlos Sainz has revealed that he was available to them for a six-month contract.
Audi also expressed interest, wanting Carlos Sainz as their lead driver alongside Nico Hulkenberg, while Alpine made a late bid for his services after Flavio Briatore’s return. Ultimately, Carlos Sainz chose Williams, drawn to the project and convinced by James Vowles that it was a team with a real chance of returning to winning form in the near future.
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