After the last race in Abu Dhabi, Carlos Sainz’s time with Ferrari will come to an end. Earlier in the season, Ferrari announced that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton would be racing for the team, forcing the Spaniard to vacate his position. Carlos Sainz will make his Williams debut in the upcoming season, as the team confirmed earlier this month.
After three successful years with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz’s contract will expire. During his time with Ferrari, Sainz has finished on the podium 24 times and won four races. Although his future lies with Williams, Sainz still has one last chance to win the Constructors’ World Championship with Ferrari this weekend, in a season where the Italian squad is 21 points behind McLaren.
He might finish his career at Ferrari with a major championship that he hasn’t won since 2008 if he and teammate Charles Leclerc can pull off a comeback this race weekend. His 2023 season, which will be his fourth with the squad, will be his greatest to date, with eight podium finishes, making him stand out in one of the most competitive championships in recent memory.
After Ferrari agreed to an early release, Williams said earlier this month that Sainz would be part of the squad in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi next month. The test is set to start on December 10, two days after the F1 2024 season finale.
The four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel was replaced by the Spanish driver in his 2021 debut with Ferrari. Despite having Max Verstappen as his first teammate, Sainz has progressively moved up the grid since starting his Formula One career in 2015 with Toro Rosso. Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021 following stints with Renault and McLaren, where he achieved his first podium finishes.
He established himself as a top-tier driver with the Reds after winning his first races at prestigious circuits like Silverstone and Monza. He has been a vital member of the team in recent years due to these accomplishments and his reliable performances.
Although Sainz’s time with Ferrari is coming to an end, the Madrid-born driver has the chance to leave one last mark on F1 by aiming for another podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he already finished third in 2021. Sainz will join Williams, an F1 team with a long history that is still trying to reclaim its position at the top of the grid. Sainz’s future is still bright, and the history of Ferrari will carry on his legacy despite the team’s move.
