Gearing up for a move to Williams in 2025, Carlos Sainz was recently on the receiving end of major praise from Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur. The Frenchman appreciated Sainz’s consistency and mental strength while highlighting how the Spaniard rarely had a difficult weekend in his tenure for Ferrari — which now has only 10 races left.
In an exclusive with Formula1.com, Vasseur labeled Sainz “super consistent” while also appreciating his knowledge of the car. But it was the #55 driver’s mentality that impressed Vasseur the most.
️| Fred Vasseur on the switch between Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton:
“I have huge respect for Carlos. I’m perfectly aware of the job he did last year. He was the architect of our recovery after the summer break. He brought us the win in Singapore and the podium in Monza.”… pic.twitter.com/LbgzCQswmn
— Ferrari News (@FanaticsFerrari) May 21, 2024
“One of Carlos’ qualities is that he is very strong mentally and very consistent.” claimed the Ferrari boss. He added that there were only two races out of the 36 that have taken place under Vasseur’s charge at Ferrari, where Sainz had a tough time.
Notably, Lewis Hamilton’s forthcoming arrival at Ferrari to replace Sainz had little to do with the latter underperforming. The 29-year-old has two wins with the Italian outfit in the last two seasons and was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a Grand Prix in 2023.
Furthermore, Sainz sits a mere 15 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc despite having missed a race this season. With one win and six podiums, Leclerc is currently P3 in the drivers’ championship. While Sainz has one less podium, he is still P5 in the standings. This similar level of performance has also led to questions about whether Ferrari has made the right move with Sainz.
Was it the right move to let go of Sainz?
With the 29-year-old over-delivering on expectations, questions were surrounding the decision-making process at Ferrari. In the first three races of the season, Leclerc failed to outperform Sainz while Hamilton was in the middle of his worst-ever start to a championship.
With Hamilton’s abilities proven, fingers pointed towards Leclerc and his position within Ferrari. Quizzed by Channel 4, Mark Webber insisted that Ferrari “kept the right driver” in the team.
The Australian former driver insisted that his answer would remain the same after every race, no matter the result due to Leclerc’s raw pace being slightly better. As the season evolved, Leclerc has also overtaken Sainz in the championship and holds a lead over him, albeit a marginal one.
