Carlos Sainz shares how his father reacted when watching him drive for Ferrari for the first time

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After four years driving the most famous car in Formula 1, Carlos Sainz’s time with Ferrari is coming to an end.

Sainz and Ferrari will work together for just eight more race weekends during the 2024 season before they go their separate ways.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur has secured the services of Formula 1’s most successful driver – Lewis Hamilton – for 2025 and beyond.

He decided to pair the seven-time world champion with Charles Leclerc, leaving Carlos Sainz looking for a new home on the grid.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Plenty of teams courted the Spaniard’s services but it was Williams who won the race to sign Sainz and he’ll be working alongside Alex Albon from next year.

Speaking to The Athletic about his time with the Scuderia, Sainz reflected on his highs and lows with the team.

Once Sainz joins Williams, he would have driven for half of the teams on the grid, a rare feat in this era of F1.

His father, Carlos Sainz Sr., is an accomplished driver in his own right, winning the Dakar Rally with Audi at the beginning of the year.

Sainz has now shared how his father reacted when he first watched his son driving for Ferrari.

Carlos Sainz shares his father’s reaction to watching him drive for Ferrari for the first time

Sainz’s Formula 1 journey started in Italy with Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso.

Before moving to Renault, McLaren and then Ferrari, Sainz admitted: “I knew they [Toro Rosso’s engineers] were putting in a good word about me to the Italian engineers in Ferrari because they normally fly together because the bases are only an hour away from each other.

“And then I remember thinking, maybe one day I can be a Ferrari driver.”

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

In 2021, those recommendations paid off as Sainz took to Ferrari’s private test tracks in Fiorano for the first time.

Located near Ferrari’s factory in Maranello, the figure-eight track was where Sainz put on the famous red race overalls for the first time with Sainz Sr. watching on.

Talking about the experience, Sainz Jr. said: “I saw him, a little tear falling down his eye when they told me when I left the pits in Fiorano for my first install lap in red.

“That is a memory that I will never forget.”

Carlos Sainz aiming to leave Ferrari with a title to his name

Sainz won’t be winning the Drivers’ Championship this year and it would be a real surprise if he was challenging for a title next year at Williams next season.

However, Leclerc’s victory at Monza combined with McLaren squandering opportunities to secure one-two finishes and Red Bull’s recent struggles have brought Ferrari into the Constructors’ Championship conversation.

Red Bull lead McLaren by just eight points and Ferrari are only 31 points further back.

Sainz believes Ferrari have a ‘big chance’ of closing the gap and winning their first championship since 2008.

It would be the perfect way for Sainz and Ferrari to end their time together.