Following the official announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s ‘dream switch’ from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025, the world of Formula 1 took off in surprise. Ferrari fans were surely happy to welcome the move but one Ferrari man who surely was ‘unhappy’ is Carlos Sainz.
Carlos Sainz, who is losing his 2025 Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton, recently delivered a clear ‘Ferrari-Charles Leclerc team orders’ verdict ahead of his final season in the Ferrari reds.
Carlos Sainz explains chemistry between him and Charles Leclerc
With Carlos Sainz leaving Ferrari in 2025 now being official news, there is a heated debate over whether he will be willing to put Charles Leclerc first if requested to.
In a recent interview with Motorsports, Sainz cleared away all these doubts by confirming that he would totally follow and Ferrari’s orders in the 2024 season. When asked whether he would help Leclerc in the F1 title shot if asked by Ferrari, he replied, “Of course. I’ve always been a team player.”
“Everything I’ve done in Formula 1 I think I’ve been a great team player. I’ve always been exemplary in that sense as a driver for any team. I will definitely help Charles if I have to,” Sainz confirmed.
“I expect Charles to help me if I fight for a World Championship myself too”, he told, expressing his trust in Leclerc ahead of his Ferrari exit.
Watch the ‘Carlos Sainz-Charles Leclerc’ friendship at its best during their final pre-season photoshoot.
🗣️ “Don’t smile, be super serious… and close one eye.”
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 11, 2024
We let C² take over the camera at our shoot 😅 pic.twitter.com/WcxzkLdYt7
What is next for Carlos Sainz after Ferrari exit?
Carlos Sainz will be entering 2025 as a free agent after his Ferrari contract expires. At that time, he will have up to 13 seats available to him. But switching to teams like Haas, Visa Cash App RB, Williams, and Alpine would be less appealing to this 2-time Grand Prix winner.
Instead, possible vacant ‘drivers’ seats at Mercedes, Red Bull, and Aston Martin would be more pleasing to Sainz.
On the other hand, Carlos Sainz could even move to Sauber in 2025, eventually becoming an Audi Formula 1 driver in 2026.
Sainz will start his final season in Ferrari’s red suits on March 2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Is Ferrari making a mistake by scrapping Carlos Sainz? Or is it a good decision by the Italian outfit? Let us know your opinions in the comments.
