“It Was Never Gonna Be Charles”: Carlos Sainz Tells Why Leclerc Wasn’t ‘Sacrificed’ for Lewis Hamilton

When Carlos Sainz first learned that he would lose his Ferrari seat in 2025, he was hurt but found solace in knowing that it was a seven-time World Champion who was going to replace him. Ahead of his final race in Abu Dhabi, he has opened up on how he came to terms with the fact.

Sainz realized that he was never the main man at Ferrari, having arrived in 2021 to partner up with Charles Leclerc, a driver who was tipped for Championship glory while the Maranello-based squad was still in the midfield. “He [Leclerc] has been the center of the project for many years,” Sainz said on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“I arrived at Ferrari more as a substitute for [Sebastian] Vettel. So, I understood that I had to be the one being replaced,” he added. By saying this, Sainz suggested that he had to adjust to his role as a filler driver between the team parting ways with one World Champion and pursuing another.

“It’s our last race weekend together as team-mates.”

Sit back and watch them take us for a final sim lap of the Yas Marina Circuit #AbuDhabiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/vPUurgycSH

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) December 4, 2024

Vettel departed for Aston Martin in 2021, and before signing another legend—Lewis Hamilton—Ferrari opted for a reliable choice in Sainz. Consequently, he was always the one most likely to be sacrificed.

In 2024, Ferrari finally announced Hamilton‘s appointment for the upcoming campaign. And despite all the introspection, it took Sainz time to understand the decision. Once he did, it was not a problem and he set out on a quest to make his final season with Ferrari as memorable as possible.

Sainz made his feelings clear

Sainz, of course, wasn’t happy with the fact that Ferrari was going to replace him with Hamilton. About that, he made his feelings with Team Principal Fred Vasseuer and President Johan Elkann clear.

“They called me, I expressed my feelings about it,” Sainz continued. “I’ve never backed off, I’ve always said what I think. The same way I told them I understood it.” 

Once that was settled, it became a matter of proving to the team that he remained one of their most valuable assets, which he did by securing two victories and playing a major role in helping the team compete for the championship.

Sainz’s statements hinted at a mutual respect between him and the iconic Italian team. To be fair, Ferrari’s decision to permit Sainz to participate in the post-season test with Williams is a testament to this. The Spanish racing ace will get his first experience with Williams machinery at the Yas Marina Circuit following the season finale this weekend.