Carlos Sainz breaks his silence on Lewis Hamilton’s shock switch to replace him at Ferrari in 2025… and reveals he will ‘listen to all the options’ before deciding on his next move
- Hamilton shocked the motorsport world when he revealed he would be joining Ferrari
- Carlos Sainz has driven for the manufacturer for the past two Formula 1 seasons
- The Spaniard will be replaced in 2025 by the seven-time world champion
Carlos Sainz admitted that Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari came out of the blue.
The 39-year-old Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of this year to replace the Spaniard in 2025.
Sainz said for the first time about the biggest transfer in Formula 1 history: ‘I was a bit surprised, like everyone else in the Formula 1 world.
‘For my part, you can understand that I learned the news a little earlier than anyone else and that I had a number of weeks to think and prepare and a number of weeks to also prepare for the car launch and the first race of the season.
“That gave me some time to process it, draw my own conclusions and focus on the 2024 season.
Carlos Sainz (left) admitted he was shocked when he first heard of Lewis Hamilton’s (right) move to Ferrari
Hamilton shared a joke with Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur last year in Azerbaijan
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“I have had many messages of support for which I would like to thank the F1 world and my friends back home who have been very supportive and encouraging.”
Sainz, 29, was speaking at Ferrari’s launch as they unveiled the challenger they hope can challenge Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, however, means that two-time race winner Sainz will be looking for a seat.
Sainz, the only driver outside Red Bull to claim a win last year, said: “I don’t know my next team yet and I have time to decide when that will happen next. There are plenty of options out there.
‘I’m approaching the most important three or four years of my career and I want to make sure I’m in the right place.
‘I’m going to listen to all options so that I give myself enough time and information when I make the decision.
‘It is quite possible to separate one from the other. I have a good management team taking care of that, so my full focus will be on the first race in Bahrain and I will start the season as strong as I can. The other will resolve itself as time goes by.
“The fact that I will not be a Ferrari driver in 2025 does not mean that we do not want to become champions or win races together this year.”
Hamilton will team up with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari after the Monegasque signed a new long-term contract just days before the British driver’s move was announced.
Commenting on Hamilton’s transfer, 26-year-old Leclerc said: ‘This kind of deal doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and I was aware of those discussions before I signed my deal, so it didn’t come as a surprise.
Sainz spoke at Ferrari’s 2024 car launch, ahead of the new Formula 1 season starting on March 2
“It’s clear that Lewis is an incredible driver, the most successful in history, with a lot of experience that he brings to the team, which is a good thing.”
Leclerc, a five-time winner, revealed he has already spoken to Hamilton.
“I’ve had conversations with Lewis, especially when everything was announced and official. We texted each other.
‘Lewis is a great champion with so much success. It’s always interesting to have a new teammate because you learn different ways of driving and working, especially when my new teammate is a seven-time world champion.’