Sainz Debuts on Track, Ferrari Focuses on Hamilton

Carlos Sainz starts with Williams, while Ferrari anticipates Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 arrival, expecting him to deliver a crucial performance boost.

Carlos Sainz was already behind the wheel of a Williams yesterday in private sessions and this morning during official post-season testing. Ferrari anticipates that Lewis Hamilton’s arrival in 2025 will provide the Italian team with a “solid boost.”

Recently, Spanish bank Santander ended its sponsorship with Ferrari, and its logos have now reappeared on the 2024 Williams in the Abu Dhabi garage—where Sainz, wearing a white suit and helmet, is making his debut with the team this week.

Sainz departs from a Ferrari team in top form—a stark contrast to the less impressive finale of seven-time world champion Hamilton’s long tenure with Mercedes.

Nico Rosberg, Hamilton’s former teammate at Mercedes, commented that no one yet knows how the 40-year-old (in January) will fare in a red suit.

“It all depends on his form. If it’s like this year, it won’t be easy for him. If he regains his usual magic, it’ll be a spectacle.”

Hamilton’s biggest shortfall this year was his qualifying pace, as he was consistently outperformed by teammate George Russell.

“Hamilton better prepare properly. Because if there’s a true qualifying monster in Formula 1 these days, it’s Charles Leclerc. I even think that if you put Leclerc and Max Verstappen together, Max would have trouble.”

At least publicly, however, Ferrari is “not worried,” as team principal Fred Vasseur stated during last weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

“Lewis’s arrival gives us a solid boost.”

“He will certainly see some things differently from us. Lewis has 18 years of experience and so much success that his perspective is crucial for our development.”

“He will help us continue on the path of success we are pursuing. We had a good season and made a big step forward, scoring 50% more points than last year. But the goal is to win titles.”

Ferrari’s executive chairman, John Elkann, echoed a similar sentiment after Ferrari’s constructors’ championship loss to McLaren.

“Let’s use the 2024 season as a starting point for a 2025 in which we will be even more competitive.”

Hamilton, bound by his contract, is skipping these tests, leaving Leclerc to drive as the primary driver for tire testing (photo below). In their new teams, Esteban Ocon (Haas F1), Nico Hulkenberg, and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) are also taking part.