It was the news that revolutionised Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton officially announced that he was leaving the Mercedes team to join Ferrari. The transfer was made possible, among other things, by Fred Vasseur, who as the head of the oldest GP racing team in the world has a clear mission: he wants to bring the Maranello team back to the top. And to do so, as he has just confessed, Carlos Sainz had to be removed from the team.
After months of speculation, the soap opera surrounding Carlos Sainz’s future was coming to an end. The signing of British driver Lewis Hamilton by Ferrari forced him out of the team for 2025 and “suddenly stopped” the renewal negotiations. From then on, several teams were interested in signing him and finally the Madrid native announced that he was opting for Williams. Carlos Sainz He will drive a car for the legendary Grove team from next season with a multi-year contract: for 2025, 2026 and “beyond” with a salary close to 10 million euros per season, as announced by the English team itself.
“Carlos should have been out”
However, his departure from Ferrari was not easy and it has now come to light why his continuation was reversed. Fred Vasseur has stated that Lewis Hamilton forced Carlos Sainz to fire Ferrari despite the respect he has for the Spaniard. He explained to “Ouest France”: “I have great respect for Carlos Sainz. I have waited ten years to work with him and we have had extraordinary moments together in those two years. Carlos gave me my first podium in Formula 1. He guarantees a positive dynamic in the team. But in life you have to make certain decisions and I think that a team cannot fail to incorporate Lewis Hamilton. Because he is unique. And for that to happen, Carlos had to be out.”said the Frenchman.
“We need this stability now and this is the benchmark, regardless of how friendly my relationship is with the drivers. Lewis is a benchmark at this level. And he knows how to create a good balance between life on and off the track. That will also help Charles Leclerc in his development,” added Vasseur.
The 56-year-old engineer, however, is full of praise for the Spaniard. “Carlos is mentally very strong and very consistent. He is always there, he gives his all, he is very focused and has a good knowledge of the car. I only remember two races that were difficult for him.”he concluded