Carlos Sainz Sr has opened up on his son’s departure from Ferrari at the end of last year, following the team’s decision to replace the Spaniard with Lewis Hamilton.
After four successful years together, the Spaniard’s time in red came to an end, not due to performance issues, but because of Ferrari’s irresistible opportunity to sign the seven-time world champion.
While such a situation could have easily bred resentment, the parting of ways between Sainz and the Italian outfit was handled with surprising grace, a fact acknowledged and appreciated by Carlos Sainz Sr.
At the end of the 2023 F1 season, Sainz Jr had been angling for a contract extension following a strong campaign, where he notably became the only non-Red Bull driver to secure a race victory.
However, when Hamilton made himself available, Ferrari seized the chance to bring the F1 icon to Maranello.
Sainz Sr, a legend in his own right in the rally world and a Dakar champion, explained how the circumstances unfolded, speaking on El Cafelito.
“I wouldn’t describe it as the Scuderia behaving badly,” he explained.
“The circumstances of the perfect storm have arisen. Ferrari was happy with Carlos, but the possibility appeared because Hamilton himself produced it.
“It is he who approached Ferrari, then the circumstances arose. Perhaps that process could have been clearer, but then it would have been leaked, and Ferrari did not want it to be.”
©Ferrari
Despite the disappointment of losing his Ferrari seat, Sainz Jr understood the decision and left the team on positive terms.
Ferrari even took steps to ensure a smooth transition, including releasing Sainz from his contract restrictions early so he could participate in post-season testing in Abu Dhabi with Williams, his new team.
Ferrari went a step further in bidding farewell to Sainz Jr, offering a gesture that Sainz Sr described as unprecedented in the team’s history.
Father and son were invited to Ferrari’s Fiorano test track for a private outing, where they both drove a Formula 1 car – an extraordinary parting gift.
“But then they had a fantastic detail with [Sainz Jr], a gesture that they have not had with practically any driver in their history, which is the farewell,” Sainz Sr revealed.
“They gave him a car, they invited me to drive in Fiorano with a Formula 1 [car].”
The car in question gifted to Sainz Jr was the F1-75, the machine in which he had secured his maiden F1 victory at the 2022 British Grand Prix.
Furthermore, for Sainz Sr, the experience of driving a modern Formula 1 car alongside his son was unforgettable.
“I have no experience in any formula championship, very, very little, so for me it was a big thing,” he told The Sun.
“I really enjoyed it a lot. The power, the handling, and the braking is amazing.
“To have the chance to be there with my son, what Ferrari did for him, and invite me to drive together with him was really fantastic.
“It was an unbelievable day. I will never forget it because we really had good fun, and obviously the experience to drive a modern Formula 1 car was unbelievable.”
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