Carlos Sainz expects one ‘sensation’ in Bahrain after Ferrari F1 announcement

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Carlos Sainz only expects one ‘sensation’ when he hits the track for Formula 1’s pre-season test in Bahrain after Ferrari axed the Spaniard for Lewis Hamilton from 2025.

The Scuderia have signed Hamilton to a multi-year contract after the 39-year-old took up an escape clause at Mercedes. He was due to be under contract in Brackley through 2025 after only agreeing to fresh terms in August. But the deal included a release clause for after 2024.

Hamilton will now move to Ferrari next year and replace Sainz beside Charles Leclerc in their garage. The Spaniard’s seat was up for grabs as the 29-year-old was already set to be out of contract after 2024. Leclerc was also nearing the end of his deal but has penned new terms.

Carlos Sainz expects one ‘sensation’ in Bahrain after Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton

Sainz was on course to follow Leclerc in securing a new contract at Ferrari up until president John Elkann learned that Hamilton was able to leave Mercedes for 2025. Now, Sainz is in the awkward spot of spending the 2024 F1 season at the team who have moved to replace him.

The Madrid native admits it is ‘not the most normal feeling’ knowing that 2024 will mark his final year in Maranello before the season has actually started. But the ‘only sensation’ Sainz expects to feel in Bahrain is the will to run faster, besides his natural aim of winning the title.

“It’s certainly not the most normal feeling to start the season,” Sainz told Sky Italia. “But the moment I put on the helmet in Bahrain and take to the track, the only sensation I’ll feel will be the desire to go faster and faster – and also aiming for victory in the world championship.”

Carlos Sainz is now one of the hottest properties on the Formula 1 driver market

With Hamilton heading to Ferrari in 2025, Sainz is now one of the hottest properties on the driver market. He was the only non-Red Bull driver to win any Grand Prix in 2023 to seal his second race win to date. Sainz produced a brilliant defensive drive to win the Singapore GP.

The Spaniard further secured pole position for the Scuderia at the Italian GP and Singapore GP. Sainz had only started from P1 on the grid three times in F1 before the 2023 campaign. He also enjoyed three podium finishes in total last year to reach 18 career rostrums to date.

But Sainz fell from fifth in the 2021 and 2022 drivers’ standings to seventh through his third season with Ferrari. Albeit his 200 points across 22 rounds only trail the 246 he registered in 2022 since breaking into F1 with Toro Rosso in 2015 before spells with Renault and McLaren.

Now, Sainz will hope the 2024 Formula 1 season yields further successes as he prepares to leave Ferrari. Pre-season testing will run in Sakhir from February 21 to 23 before the season-opening Bahrain GP on March 2. Sainz enjoyed his best Bahrain GP to date in 2022 with P2.