Ferrari’s prestige lured Lewis Hamilton - and cost Carlos Sainz his seat (2024)

Passion, prestige, prowess.

These are just a few words that call to mind Ferrari’s Formula One team. Its rosso scuderia-colored car with the cavallino rampante logo — the black prancing horse on the vibrant yellow background — captivates attention around the world. Team founder Enzo Ferrari is believed to once have said, “Ask a child to draw a car, and certainly he will draw it red.”

People dream of driving a Ferrari, whether it be on the road or on a racetrack somewhere around the world. It has been synonymous with F1, the only team that has competed every year since the world championship began in 1950. The likes of Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen have all won titles with the Maranello-based team. And now, Lewis Hamilton will look to join their ranks.

Lewis Hamilton adds his name to an elite club of those who have driven for the prestigious @ScuderiaFerrari in Formula 1 ✨✍️#F1 @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/bhWcJZp4AF

— Formula 1 (@F1) February 1, 2024

It’s been well over a decade since the team won a constructors’ or drivers’ championship, but the news of Hamilton leaving Mercedes for the Prancing Horse in 2025, to drive alongside Charles Leclerc, renews the tifosi’s hope Ferrari will return to its winning ways. It came as a shock given Hamilton said just last year there was “no place I would rather be” than Mercedes, his home of 11 years.

But this is Ferrari, and as Sebastian Vettel famously said in 2016, “Everyone is a Ferrari fan. Even if they say they’re not, they are Ferrari fans.”

Only as the details emerged and fandoms reacted to the news on social media, Carlos Sainz became collateral damage and was left to grapple with the harsh truth: he had become Ferrari’s third choice driver for the future despite achieving something no other non-Red Bull driver could in 2023.

Win.

A ‘Smooth Operator’

Fireworks exploded in the sky as the crowd erupted in cheers. Ferrari team members waved the Italian and team flags with pride as the 29-year-old Sainz climbed on his car and threw his hands in the air, holding up one finger — No. 1.

Sainz spoiled Red Bull’s perfect season with a win in Singapore, but as many fans will recall, it wasn’t a runaway. The Spaniard started on pole but needed to switch up his strategy. In a calculated move, he kept former McLaren teammate Lando Norris within DRS range — a counterintuitive move that helped Norris fend off the chasing Mercedes duo of George Russell and Hamilton.

Sainz needed to slow down enough to keep Norris within range but be fast enough to not allow the McLaren to overtake him. It’s more difficult than it sounds, and it’s the kind of strategic maneuver that showcases Sainz’s talent.

“There was in particularly one lap that I think Lando defended into (Turns) 16-17, and then I had to slow down a lot into T1-2-3 to give him DRS again,” Sainz said after the race. “I think that move actually, saved my race, saved also Lando’s P2 because I feel like there, if not, I would have been also dead meat. If the Mercs would have passed Lando, I think they could have got past me pretty easily.”

Over the course of his F1 career, Sainz has become known for his methodical approach, calm attitude and thoughtful feedback. He’s been consistent each step of the way, leveling up his game and adapting to a team’s environment. Looking back on his (so far) three-year stint at Ferrari, his journey has been marked with highs and lows. He outscored Leclerc in year one, but the Monegasque outqualified and beat Sainz in year two. Come 2023, the Spaniard struggled during the first half of the season but was consistent. He found his groove after the summer break and led Leclerc heading into the Singapore GP weekend. Leclerc ultimately finished the year six points ahead of Sainz, who recorded a DNF in Abu Dhabi.

It’s not a subpar performance. Leclerc and Sainz created one of the strongest, most complete pairings on the grid. The pressure of being a Ferrari driver is widely known as everyone scrutinizes the team, and Sainz consistently was competitive against his teammate, sometimes being the stronger Prancing Horse driver.

The next chapter

In F1, consistency is critical. Sainz brings that to the table; a zero-point weekend is rare. The two-time grand prix winner is more than capable of racing for a top team and is one of the most complete drivers. He shows flashes of wise moves like what fans saw in Singapore. Remember the dummy move in Australia that truly showed his nickname, ‘Smooth Operator?’ And he’s calm under pressure, like when he secured pole position at Monza.

With what’s expected to be a hot drivers market looming for 2025, options are open but are they appealing, particularly given Sainz’s caliber?

A slew of teams are believed to have slots opening, like Sauber (which will become Audi in 2026), Alpine (who he drove for when it was known as Renault), Red Bull (though Daniel Ricciardo is in the picture) and Williams, to name a few. Mercedes could engage in a seat swap — Andrea Kimi Antonelli is rising through the junior ranks, but it would be a big ask to slide an 18-year-old into Hamilton’s spot.

Yes, there are more questions than answers on what’s next for Sainz, but he will be a prime player on the market given his track record. He thrives off of stability, so he’ll likely seek a multi-year contract. This never was a matter of a lack of talent.

“We still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world,” Sainz said in a statement after the Hamilton news was made official.

“News about my future will be announced in due course.”

(Lead photo of Carlos Sainz: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)