Last February, an unexpected roadblock hit Carlos Sainz’s high-flying Ferrari career when the team told him it would be his last year in red. They had roped in Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes, with the Briton seeking a new challenge. For a driver who had gotten used to repping the prestigious colors of the Scuderia, being left to figure out his future with no contingency plans whatsoever, was admittedly difficult.
Sainz had performed brilliantly for Ferrari since joining in 2021, and was in the midst of negotiating his new contract with the Maranello-based outfit. So, a bit of saltiness and bad-blood would have been understandable, especially towards Hamilton who had come in to take the place he thought would be his.
F1 commentator Harry Benjamin, however, revealed that was far from the reality.
In a video revisiting his 2024 season journey, Benjamin recalled moderating the 2024 Bahrain GP press conference. It was less than a month since Ferrari’s announcement of Hamilton‘s signing and that presser panel of drivers had both Hamilton and Sainz present in the room at the same time.
“Thought it might be a bit awkward with the Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton [switch] thing going on”, the BBC presenter said. “But they were actually the chummiest ones there.”
“It surprised me as much as it surprised you guys”
Carlos Sainz on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari and the “plenty of options” he has for 2025 pic.twitter.com/WE0lnULOiD
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 13, 2024
Benjamin highlighted how the reality of relationships between F1 drivers is often quite different than what the media portrays. While many drivers have rivalries and a tense off-track relationship, there is always a cordial understanding between them.
As for Sainz, he was more than gracious to accept Ferrari’s decision, even understanding that it must have been hard for them to turn down Hamilton. The Spaniard accepted that he had to prove his mettle to other teams and seek better opportunities away from Ferrari.
Sainz did not get what he initially expected
After being shown the exit door, Sainz set out on a mission to land a seat at another top team. Having won races with the Prancing Horse, and finishing on the podium dozens of times, it didn’t seem like a monumental task, and it was expected that he wouldn’t settle for anything less.
Sadly for Sainz, things didn’t go as planned.
There were rumors linking him to Red Bull and Mercedes initially. They seemed like the only available options with whom he could challenge for wins, and perhaps a Championship in the short-term future.
Aston Martin also became a rumored destination for some time, owing to their ambitious plans to become a top team by 2026. But the window for Sainz shut after Fernando Alonso extended his contract for two more seasons. Meanwhile, Red Bull was not keen on bringing Sainz on board, presumably due to his tense history with Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso.
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz next year leaves a seat at Mercedes up for grabs pic.twitter.com/IZGp7H7WpN
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 5, 2024
That left Mercedes as the remaining option for Sainz, which would have been a straight swap of seats with Hamilton. However, the Silver Arrows were prolonging their decision to assess their academy driver, Kimi Antonelli, as a long-term replacement for Hamilton.
Soon, it became clear that Mercedes was going to promote Antonelli, which left Sainz in a herd of lower midfield teams like Alpine, Audi, and Williams. The Madrid-born driver chose Williams in the end, perhaps the least bad option, and due to their honesty about where they stood in terms of performance.
