Carlos Sainz is heading into his final race with Ferrari (Image: Getty)
offered a classy verdict on ’s move ahead of the duo’s final races for their respective constructors at the , explaining that he understands why moved him on to bring the seven-time world champion onboard.
By every measure, Sainz’s four-year stay with has been a clear success. He has recorded four Grand Prix victories, including two this season, and has kept highly-rated team-mate Charles Leclerc under pressure throughout their time together.
However, when Hamilton agreed to swap Brackley for Maranello back in February, team principal Vasseur was left with no choice but to let Sainz go, given the immense resources that have been funnelled into Leclerc’s development. In 2025, the Spaniard will begin a new chapter of his career, teaming up with at Williams.
Discussing his exit on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Sainz explained: “I understood it almost right from the beginning. I think if it would have been someone else, I would have taken a lot more longer to understand.
“But when you understand , the seven-time world champion and one of the best – if not the best in history – is going to replace you as . And Lewis has decided to do his last part of his career in , and that you need to be one of the two drivers sacrificed for that to happen – I understand.
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Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari in the new year (Image: Getty)
“I also understand that it was never going to be Charles. Charles has been the project of ever since he has been a junior driver – he’s been the centre of the project probably for many years.
“I arrived to more as a substitute of [Sebastian] Vettel – almost a bit… not by chance, obviously earning my place, but circumstantial rather than Charles, that has been there forever.
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“So I understood that I had to be, in a way, the one being replaced and yeah, I understood it from the beginning. I just always didn’t agree much at the time, but hey, you end up agreeing and you end up getting on with it.”
Sainz at least has the opportunity to wrap up his career by making history in Abu Dhabi. The Scuderia are targeting their first World Championship since Kimi Raikkonen’s triumph in 2007, although they have to cut down ’s 21-point advantage at the Yas Marina Circuit if they are to do so.