It’s been two weeks since Carlos Sainz drove his final race for Ferrari. Although his future lies at Williams, the main topic of discussion has been around Sainz’s departure, which many in the F1 community saw as shocking.
Sainz, who joined Ferrari in 2021, did not burn any bridges, however. Even though he was sad about Ferrari replacing him with Lewis Hamilton, he understood their decision, and the Maranello-based outfit now plans to officially part ways following a special farewell set to take place for him in the coming days.
The event, set to take place on Tuesday, will feature the F1-75, Ferrari’s car for the 2022 season in which Sainz won his maiden race (Silverstone). His father, Carlos Sainz Sr. will drive it around the Fiorano circuit with the 30-year-old alongside him.
Ferrari has organized a special day for the Sainz family on Tuesday; a way to give a special last day not only to their driver,but also to his family. At Fiorano, the Ferrari F1-75 will take to the track with Carlos Sainz Sr at the wheel. His son will also be there with him.
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Also present in their Maranello factory will be Sainz’s mechanics and engineers over the last four years, who “enjoyed his feedback, his professionalism and also the person who has always been highly respected and appreciated internally”, as per Giuliano Duchessa.
Following Sainz’s final race in Abu Dhabi, there were many tears, as shown in videos shared by Ferrari on social media. Similar emotions are likely to surface at their base on Tuesday, as the team prepares to bid a final farewell to the driver, who has been a consistent and reliable presence.
Why Sainz was removed
Even though Sainz was a faithful servant to Ferrari and had formed a strong partnership with Charles Leclerc, the Italian squad pounced at the opportunity to sign Hamilton.
The seven-time world champion, frustrated with Mercedes, made himself available and Ferrari could not say no to the idea of Leclerc teaming up with him. On paper, it is a huge upgrade, because Hamilton, with all due respect to Sainz, comes with more credibility.
But several pundits, including former team owner Eddie Jordan, claimed that Ferrari made a mistake in letting Sainz go. Whether it was a good decision or not, will be determined by whether Hamilton can win the Drivers’ title in red. Anything less than that will be considered a failure.
