Carlos Sainz Jr. reflects on ‘bittersweet’ closing chapter of his Ferrari career

Carlos Sainz Jr. is enjoying a tremendous run of form as the 2024 Formula 1 season winds down. Sainz has secured six podiums this year, including a win in the Australian Grand Prix, and has a chance to follow his P2 in last week’s United States Grand Prix with another podium result having qualified in pole position for Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix. That success has helped Ferrari climb back into the mix in the Constructor’s Championship, as the team now trails second-place Red Bull by just eight points, and first-place McLaren by 48

However, this tremendous run of success comes as his time at Ferrari is winding down. With Lewis Hamilton joining the team for the 2025 campaign, Sainz is headed to Williams for next year on a new “multi-year” deal.

It is a “bittersweet” ending to his time in Maranello, a fact Sainz reflected on during the FIA Press Conference following qualifying in Mexico City.

“Given how good the car is, how well I’m driving recently, you know, it’s obviously optimistic going into the last five races,” said Sainz in response to a question from Luke Smith at The Athletic. “At the same time, bittersweet because it gives me a feeling Ferrari might be in the fight for the World Championship next year and I will not be there to use it.

“And I feel like I’ve been quite a big part of this team during the last four years trying to prepare the team to fight for that championship next year, you know, and the fact that I’m driving well, being fast with the car and I’m living in five races is definitely leaves me a bit… I don’t know how to say it, but not with a very good feeling,” added Sainz. “But it’s what it is. I’m going to try and, as I’ve said, win more races, stand on the podium for as long as I can during these five races and enjoy that. And then we will think about next year.”

Next year will come when it does, but first Sainz has a race to win, and one of the longest runs into Turn 1 on the Formula 1 calendar. With Sainz starting ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris — two drivers vying for the Drivers’ Championship — what will Sainz be thinking about as the lights go out?

Holding that lead, according to the Ferrari driver.

“No, honestly, the start I will just do everything I can to stay in P1 because also around Mexico that’s really important for the cooling of the car, for the tyres and everything. So I’ll do everything I can. But I say my focus is on the 0 to 100 and on the launch. Then everything else happening from then onwards… It depends, also, on how good my rivals start and all the instinctive decisions that we all take in the start,” said Sainz Saturday. “I’ll trust my instincts and obviously with the intention of getting out of that corner P1 for sure.”

We will see if Sainz can hold that lead come Sunday afternoon, when the lights go out in Mexico City.