Following Lewis Hamilton‘s surprising decision to join Ferrari, Carlos Sainz suddenly finds himself in trouble. With his contract ending in 2024, securing a Formula 1 seat has become a formidable challenge for the Spanish driver. Complicating matters, 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve has described Sainz as the ‘big loser’ in this scenario. Additionally, he contends that the betrayal from Ferrari will drive Sainz to embark on a personal vendetta against Ferrari.
The 1997 champion believes that Carlos Sainz‘s negotiating position will be significantly weakened because of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move in 2025. He even said that now, Sainz’s willingness to cooperate within a team framework will probably diminish.
This shift arises from the fact that Ferrari’s performance will no longer be of personal importance to him. Instead, his primary focus will be on his results. He elaborated on Gazzetta dello Sport,
“Sainz will have no interest in playing the team’s games. He has to [produce] them for his 2025 contract.”
Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021 and produced plenty of strong performances over the last three years. He aimed to use them as leverage while asking for a multi-year contract. However, Ferrari’s recent decision has changed the situation, and now the Spanish driver needs to find a new spot on the grid.
In the previous year, there were strong speculations linking him to Audi, who will enter the grid with Sauber in 2025. Considering this, Villeneuve suggests that managing the 29-year-old might be challenging for Ferrari.
For this, Villeneuve even drew comparisons with the dynamic between Mercedes drivers. He said, “ See how Mercedes will handle the confrontation between [George] Russell and Hamilton. And how it will work between Leclerc and Sainz, who now has nothing left to lose.”
How did Carlos Sainz react after Ferrari’s betrayal?
Carlos Sainz has wholeheartedly committed himself to Ferrari and their fans, especially in the previous season. Sainz accomplished a significant feat by being the sole driver to interrupt Red Bull’s winning streak. Despite these achievements, when Sainz experienced betrayal from Ferrari, he handled the situation with grace.
On Twitter, Sainz conveyed his thanks to Ferrari for providing him the opportunity to compete for the team. Additionally, he conveyed his commitment to delivering his best to both the team and the fans.
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) February 1, 2024
However, what truly grabbed the fans’ interest was his positive outlook regarding his future prospects. In his statement, Sainz mentioned that updates about his plans post-2024 would be revealed in due time.
Certainly, Ferrari’s decision has not only influenced the careers of Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz but has created potential vacancies on the grid. Nevertheless, with Sainz’s departure, Ferrari is poised to welcome arguably the finest driver on the grid to their team.
With this episode in F1 history, the excitement surrounding Ferrari’s performance dynamics has reached an unprecedented level. Moreover, this situation has also heightened the suspense regarding Sainz’s next move in F1.
