Damon Hill names the scenario that could see Carlos Sainz return to Ferrari one day

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Carlos Sainz is an almighty coup for Williams, but it’s unclear how long he’ll stick around. James Vowles announced following the Belgian Grand Prix that his team had won the midfield battle for the Ferrari star.

Ferrari informed Sainz in the winter that they wouldn’t be renewing his contract so they could bring in Lewis Hamilton instead. But this wasn’t a decision based on his performance.

When a seven-time world champion and the most successful driver in the sport’s history became available, Ferrari felt they had to pounce. And given that Charles Leclerc has been the brand’s marquee driver for a while now, Sainz was the unfortunate victim.

Many in the F1 paddock felt he at least deserved to remain at the front of the field. He’s won three races and taken five pole positions with the Scuderia and his career podium tally now stands at 23.

But Mercedes were concerned about the optics of signing Sainz, who would naturally be seen as a downgrade from Hamilton. They’ve been more focused on their teenage prodigy Kimi Antonelli.

Red Bull don’t want to reunite Sainz and Verstappen, who didn’t get on during their time at Toro Rosso, and a return to McLaren was never an option with both drivers on long-term deals. The question, then, is whether Sainz will return to a frontrunning team in a couple of years, or whether his only option is to haul Williams to the sharp end himself.

Damon Hill says Ferrari could re-sign Carlos Sainz if Lewis Hamilton retires

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, 1996 world champion Damon Hill suggested the doors to Ferrari aren’t necessarily closed for Sainz. There doesn’t appear to be much bad blood between the two parties.

Indeed, Fred Vasseur was impressed by how Sainz reacted to the news of Hamilton’s arrival both on and off the track. The 29-year-old is only 15 points behind Leclerc despite missing a race through illness.

As such, Hill reckons Ferrari could look to reunite their two drivers if Hamilton’s stint proves to be short. The Englishman will turn 40 in the new year and may retire at the end of 2026 depending on the team’s performance under the new regulations.

Kimi Raikkonen was the last driver to return to Maranello for a second spell. He first raced for the team between 2007 and 2009 and then returned in 2014 after an impressive F1 comeback at Lotus.

“So yeah, I think he’s got a lot of opportunities,” Hill said of Sainz. “It’s just the musical chairs. Unfortunately, that’s what it is. Maybe Lewis will retire. You know, maybe he’ll do two years at Ferrari and retire and then Carlos might get another stab at that one.”

Sainz faces obvious rival for 2027 Ferrari seat

While Ferrari don’t have a junior team like Red Bull (RB), they have previously been able to assess academy drivers by placing them in the midfield. Leclerc started out at Sauber in 2018, while Mick Schumacher got an opportunity at Haas in 2020.

While the former earned a swift promotion, the latter lost his spot on the F1 grid and his place in the Ferrari programme after an underwhelming couple of years. Oliver Bearman is the next to be put to the test.

Bearman will race alongside Esteban Ocon at Haas in 2025 and will hope to put himself in pole position to succeed Hamilton whenever he moves on. Vasseur urged Haas to sign an experienced teammate, so he’s clearly keeping a close eye on his development.

One journalist fears that Sainz may never race for a top F1 team again. While he’s a proven quantity at the highest level, it may be that his time has come and gone.