Glenn Freeman backs Ferrari's decision to choose Charles Leclerc over Carlos Sainz: "He has the higher ceiling"

F1 pundit Glenn Freeman reckons Ferrari made the right decision in keeping Charles Leclerc and replacing Carlos Sainz with Lewis Hamilton for 2025.

Before the 2024 F1 season, the entire F1 fanbase was shocked when Ferrari announced they would be signing Lewis Hamilton in 2025 to replace Carlos Sainz. It was a mind-blowing move since Hamilton had been with Mercedes for over a decade and had a deep-rooted connection with the team.

When Ferrari found that the seven-time world champion was available, they immediately offered him Sainz's seat instead of Leclerc's. In the 2025 F1 season, the Italian giants will have the Brit and Leclerc in their driver lineup.

Comparing the two current Ferrari drivers on The Race F1 podcast [08:05], Glenn Freeman opined that the Italian team's decision to replace Carlos Sainz and keep Charles Leclerc was not a blunder. He added that the Monegasque was better in terms of raw pace and skill ceiling.

"If you are put in a situation Ferrari are in, and you decide, 'We are bringing in Lewis Hamilton', and you have got to keep one of the two drivers that you have got in your current lineup, I don't think it's an error to decide that Leclerc is the one you want to back. He has the higher ceiling, he has the ultimate outright speed and that should be the first thing you look for in a driver," Freeman said.

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Carlos Sainz shares his plan to find an F1 seat and continue his career

Ferrari announced that Lewis Hamilton would replace Carlos Sainz in 2025, leaving the Spaniard's future in Formula 1 in question. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, he clarified that he has not yet found a seat with a team and would take his time to explore every option before making a decision. He admitted that he had no idea where he would be going after leaving Ferrari.

"The situation now is completely different, I am basically a free agent for ‘25 and I have no idea yet where I am going to be racing with. As I said before, I have to take my time to decide, see all the options that are available," Sainz said.

After Sainz became a free agent in 2024, several speculations surfaced of him moving to Red Bull, Audi, and even Mercedes. He is the only non-Red Bull driver to have won a race since the start of last season and has the same number of wins (3) as Leclerc for the Prancing Horse.