Carlos Sainz would have been a better Ferrari driver than Lewis Hamilton in 2025 for one clear reason

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Lewis Hamilton replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in 2025, with all parties hoping for success. But, in the words of the seven-time champion, it has been a nightmare.

He has failed to stand on the podium for the Maranello outfit this season as he risks going winless for only the third time in his career. Hamilton hoped a fresh start at Ferrari would improve his fortunes, but if anything, they have got worse.

The Brit has struggled to adapt to the SF-25 and the team’s way of working, with Hamilton sending documents to Ferrari on how he thinks they can improve. However, they have not been taken on board, with Fred Vasseur ignoring Hamilton’s suggestions for upgrades.

Sitting in P4 in the constructors’ championship, Ferrari’s operational errors have hampered their charge in 2025. But the team are insisting the blame lies elsewhere, with John Elkann issuing an attack on Hamilton and Charles Leclerc after the Brazilian GP.

Hamilton just has not found the right groove at Ferrari as he struggles to make sense of their way of working after leaving Mercedes. It makes many wonder what would have happened in 2025 had they not let Sainz go to Williams.

Carlos Sainz performed strongly in underwhelming Ferraris – he would have been better than Lewis Hamilton in 2025

Jacques Villeneuve felt Ferrari were missing Sainz as he noticed a ‘strange’ pattern. The Spaniard has made teams stronger wherever he has gone, and his previous outfits have regressed when he leaves – that is certainly the case in 2025.

The Spaniard has helped guide Williams in the top five of the standings, while Ferrari have fallen behind Red Bull and Mercedes. ‘Some’ Ferrari staff already regret dropping Sainz for Hamilton, and there is a clear reason why he would have been better than his replacement.

As journalist Ben Anderson put it on The Race F1 Podcast, Sainz would have managed the limitations of the SF-25 better, due to ‘the benefit of incumbency’ in the team and having more strategies available to him.

Hamilton has tried to adopt his driving style from Mercedes at Ferrari, which has ultimately led to him needing to play catch-up at the team. This issue would have been completely avoided with Sainz, as he has experience of driving ‘some bad Ferraris’ and performing well in them.

He was ‘relatively closer to Leclerc as a teammate’ when the car was not in the right window. What’s more is that Sainz and Leclerc were more aligned at Ferrari, while Hamilton disagrees with the Monegasque driver on how to fix the team’s problems this season.

As Anderson rightfully notes, 2025 probably would have been bad regardless of who was in the car, given the SF-25’s poor development. But Sainz’s experience with the team would have at least given them better results, rather than scurrying around trying to get Hamilton accustomed to the car.

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

What has Carlos Sainz said about returning to Ferrari?

Amid Ferrari’s dismal 2025 season, there has been speculation about changes to their driver line-up in the future. Hamilton is out of contract next year, and while he has the option to extend for 2027, the team are not set to offer him a new deal.

Leclerc is also considering his options for 2027, as he is growing tired of Ferrari’s lack of results. When it comes to potential replacements, Sainz has been consistently mentioned.

Vasseur spoke ‘off the record’ about Sainz returning to Ferrari, stating that the ‘door wasn’t closed’ for the Spaniard. He claimed three wins in four years with the team before his departure was confirmed at the start of 2024.

Sainz would ‘rush back’ to Ferrari if he were given the chance. Given Hamilton’s struggles and Leclerc’s frustrations, he may be a wise option to consider for the future.