Carlos Sainz believes he’s heading into crucial years of his profession and desires to make sure his subsequent transfer offers him title alternatives after being stunned by Ferrari’s determination to exchange him with Lewis Hamilton.
The Spaniard is out of contract on the finish of this season and had been hoping to safe a brand new deal earlier than the shock information that Hamilton will take part 2025 was introduced at first of February. Sainz says he’s not in a rush to finalize a transfer to a different workforce, as a result of he feels he’s heading into his prime as a driver.
“As a lot as I mentioned I needed to get my future sorted earlier than the primary race, now the state of affairs has modified fairly a bit, as you’ll be able to think about,” Sainz mentioned. “It will be in all probability an extended course of forward of me. In all probability my most vital three or 4 years of my profession, the place I need to be sure that I’m in the best place on the proper time, I need to be sure that I choose the best subsequent vacation spot for me so I need to take my time to consider it, to hearken to all of the choices, take a look in any respect the choices. Then I can simply really feel calm that once I take the choice I’ve given myself sufficient time with sufficient info.
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“Having mentioned that, it’s unattainable to separate one factor from the opposite. I’ve an excellent administration workforce that additionally will maintain that. so my focus will probably be Bahrain and I’m going to begin the yr as robust as I can, placing all my effort into being fast straight from the go. The opposite factor will type itself out as time goes by.”
Sainz admitted he was stunned when advised by Ferrari that Hamilton can be taking his seat, even when he was made conscious earlier than the information got here out.
“I feel clearly a little bit of a shock, like everybody within the Method 1 world, with the information,” he mentioned. “I feel everybody was stunned in a approach with what occurred. From my aspect, you’ll be able to clearly perceive that I obtained to know the information a bit sooner than anybody else, however it’s true then I mentioned some weeks to mirror, some weeks to arrange, and a few weeks to additionally prepare for the automotive launch, for the primary race of the season.
“So it offers you a little bit of time to digest it, to take your personal conclusions, and to deal with the 2024 season that’s forward. However the truth that it was a little bit of a shock to the entire Method 1 world is not any information, and it was clearly additionally [a surprise] for me.”
Regardless of not having a contract in place for 2025, Sainz insisted that he doesn’t see this season as a major probability to impress potential suitors, as a result of he believes his earlier performances converse for themselves.
“Truthfully talking, I don’t suppose I want a brand new season to show that or to point out to anybody,” he mentioned. “I’ve [spent] 9 years in F1 and by 9 years, and particularly the final three being at a workforce like Ferrari, everybody has seen roughly what I’m able to.
“Clearly a brand new yr, new alternative, hopefully a greater automotive, a extra performing automotive that permits us to – particularly within the races – shine a bit greater than we did final yr. As a result of positively final yr within the races, we have been struggling a bit greater than in quali, and with a greater race automotive we will do some higher races, some higher technique, some higher tire administration, some higher overtakes – final yr I used to be having to defending my place rather a lot and I did loads of good defending, however not sufficient good overtaking. So I’m trying ahead to that and what we will extract from the automotive this yr.”
