David Coulthard Tips Carlos Sainz for Backup Role as He Doubts Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Career Longevity

Carlos Sainz’s time at Ferrari will come to an end after just two more races, and he will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton — a switch that was confirmed ahead of the start of the 2024 season. Sainz will leave a front-runner for Williams, a team struggling to score points, having signed a multi-year deal. However, he had a better option, according to David Coulthard.

The former Red Bull driver doubts Hamilton‘s ability to succeed at Ferrari, likely because of his age. For that reason, he feels Sainz should have stuck around behind the scenes.

“I said before he made the decision to go to Williams, that one of the options could be just to go super sub at Ferrari because the jury’s out as to whether it will work for Lewis,” he said in a conversation with Le Mans winner Justin Bell.

Coulthard revealed that he had spoken to Sainz before he chose Williams, but the Madrid-born driver, of course, did not take his advice. The Briton also believes that even if Hamilton’s move to the Maranello-based team works out in the short term, his longevity makes him skeptical.

“Even if it does work, what’s he going to do—two years? Will he keep going after that, at 42 years old? I doubt it, because of the classic expression: time stands still for no man,” Coulthard added.

Hamilton, however, would disagree and go out there to prove him wrong.

Hamilton comments about outlasting Fernando Alonso in F1

At 43 years old, Fernando Alonso is currently the oldest (and most experienced) driver on the grid. He became the first to ever cross the 400 Grand Prix weekend mark in F1 — a milestone. However, when asked about the same ahead of the Mexico City GP (the weekend where Alonso made history), Hamilton expressed his own competitive edge and hinted at wanting to stay in the sport longer than his former teammate at McLaren.

“[It] depends how far he’ll go. I’m probably going to be here longer than him,” said Hamilton when asked if he could outlast the two-time World Champion.

Alonso, who signed an extension with Aston Martin at least until the end of 2026, will be 45 by the time his contract ends, so it will be interesting to see if Hamilton too can stay committed to F1 at that age. If not, Coulthard’s prediction could prove to be correct.