"You’ve signed the wrong driver for next year. Lewis Hamilton is lagging behind": Former F1 driver questions Ferrari decision to fire Carlos Sainz

Former F1 driver Christian Danner reckons Ferrari has made a mistake in deciding to replace Carlos Sainz with Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

Before the 2024 F1 season started, the announcement of Hamilton joining Ferrari in 2025 shook the entire F1 fanbase. As soon as the announcement was made, it was clear that Sainz was the one who would get the ax.

Though the Spaniard finished behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, in the 2023 F1 season driver standings, he was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race that season at Singapore. He also bagged a race win in the 2024 Australian GP after Max Verstappen retired from the race due to brake failure.

After the 2024 F1 Australian GP, the Spaniard stands in fourth place with 40 points. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton is in 10th place with only eight points to his name following a DNF in Melbourne.

Speaking to Motorsport-Magazin.com, Danner stated how Sainz is giving Ferrari a dilemma with his displays. He also mentioned Hamilton's struggles in terms of performance and opined that Sainz may well be faster than Leclerc.

"At the moment, Carlos Sainz is messing everything up at Ferrari. 'First: You have signed the wrong driver for next year. Hamilton is lagging behind, I'm much better. Secondly: If you want Hamilton, you've kept the wrong one because I'm faster.'" the former F1 driver said [Translated by Google]

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Carlos Sainz shares his approach to a new seat in F1

After Ferrari announced Lewis Hamilton as their new driver for 2025, Carlos Sainz essentially became a free agent in the driver transfer market.

Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, the Spaniard stated that he does not know which team he would join after 2024, but added that he would take his time to explore every option before making a decision.

"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," the 29-year-old said.

After Hamilton's Ferrari announcement, several rumors emerged of Sainz being a top candidate for teams such as Red Bull, Mercedes, and even Aston Martin.