Carlos Sainz's millionaire father opens up on Lewis Hamilton replacing his son at Ferrari

Carlos Sainz's father holds no grudges against Ferrari for replacing his son with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. In an interview, he said that an odd circumstance was created when the Brit made himself available in the market, but the Italian team's farewell gesture impressed Sainz Sr.

Sainz Jr. was perhaps hoping for an extension with Ferrari at the end of the 2023 season, where he became the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race. However, the tables turned drastically in January 2024 when the Italian team parted ways with him to sign Hamilton in what turned out to be a historic move.

Since Charles Leclerc had already signed a multi-year extension deal, Hamilton's onboarding meant that Sainz had to leave.

However, Sainz's father has opined that Ferrari was caught in a dilemma because Hamilton approached the team for a deal. Given the British driver's stature in F1, the Maranello-based team deemed him as the right fit.

While talking to El Cafelito, Carlos Sainz Sr. said (via Planet F1):

“I wouldn’t describe it as the Scuderia behaving badly. 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. 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. They gave him a car; they invited me to drive in Fiorano with a Formula 1 [car].”

Ferrari invited Sainz Jr. and his father for a special run at the Fiorano track after the season and reportedly gifted him the 2022 season challenger F1-75 as a gift. Notably, the Spaniard won his first Grand Prix in 2022 with that model at Silverstone.

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Carlos Sainz revealed he was certain of an extension deal with Ferrari

Carlos Sainz (Image Source: Getty)

Carlos Sainz perhaps received a big shock when he found out that Lewis Hamilton was replacing him at Ferrari. During an episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Spaniard revealed that he was certain of signing an extension deal with the team.

“I was told that I was not going to continue with the team that I was 99% sure I was going to continue with going into that winter. It was a massive shock to my hopes, and I obviously didn’t enjoy that moment," Sainz said (via formula1.com).

After the fateful decision, Sainz spent months trying to find a seat for 2025. His quest ended with Williams Racing as he agreed to a multi-year deal. While the decision came as a shock to many fans, Sainz apparently has faith in the team's growth.