Carlos Sainz achieved a podium finish with Williams before Lewis Hamilton managed one with Ferrari, stirring unexpected controversy and discussion. This startling event raises questions about the ongoing Lewis Hamilton Ferrari comparison and the broader implications for both drivers and their teams in the current Formula 1 season.
The Rivalry Between Sainz and Hamilton Remains Unresolved
Since Carlos Sainz secured third place with his Williams FW47 at the Baku Grand Prix, the racing world has been abuzz. Despite the situation where Sainz was effectively promoted to second on the grid after a chaotic red-flagged qualifying session—and then dropped to third during the race—many analysts and fans have questioned Ferrari’s strategic choice to replace Sainz with Hamilton during the off-season. The debate centers on whether Ferrari’s decision was justified, given the results so far.
Jacques Villeneuve voiced a critical view, emphasizing the negative trend of teams declining after losing Sainz. On a betting site, he remarked,
“Every time he left a team, that team went downhill. Every time. And it’s the same with Ferrari now,”
highlighting that while Sainz might have been “maybe just a few hundredths” slower than his teammates, those teammates were faster
“thanks to the work that Sainz was doing.”
Guenther Steiner described the situation as a case of buyer’s remorse. Speaking on The Red Flag podcast, Steiner expressed,
“I’m sure that some of the guys there are feeling regret, because Ferrari finished eighth and ninth in Baku. Carlos Sainz, now with Williams, finished third.”
Bernie Collins, former Aston Martin strategist, offered a more measured perspective during her Sky F1 interview, illustrating that Sainz fully embraced Williams’ project. She explained the discussions Sainz had with Williams’ team principal, James Vowles, to commit to a team aiming to return to the front of the grid. Collins said,
“Clearly, Carlos Sainz has fully bought into that, and he thinks that Williams can be back at the front. Believes he can, and believes he’s a crucial part of the jigsaw to make that happen, and that’s very powerful in a driver team combination.”
Assessing the Winners and Losers of the Current F1 Season
In contrast to the praise for Sainz, Lewis Hamilton has faced heavy criticism. Guenther Steiner attributed this largely to the unrest Hamilton supposedly brings to the team environment, questioning the value of his continued inclusion. Steiner asked rhetorically,
“Obviously that unrest he brings into the team and around the team, is it a worthwhile investment? Maybe not.”
He also hinted at resource concerns, stating the financial investment for Hamilton was
“pretty sure it’s a lot higher.”
Luca di Montezemolo, the former Ferrari chairman, articulated his preference for the team lineup without directly mentioning Hamilton. In an interview with Reuters, he said,
“Sainz and Leclerc were a very good couple… If tomorrow morning I will be obliged to go to work in Ferrari, in one week I have clear in my mind who to put in different positions.”
This suggests a widespread belief that Sainz’s contributions to Ferrari outpaced Hamilton’s impact so far.
But does this reflect the full picture? While Sainz has appeared on a grand prix front row and celebrated a race podium, Hamilton has not yet done so with Ferrari this season. However, Hamilton’s 121 points after multiple races dwarf Sainz’s 31 points in the current championship standings. Hamilton trails his teammate by 44 points, while Sainz trails Alex Albon by a much larger margin. These figures indicate that, despite the one-off podium, Hamilton’s season remains substantially stronger in terms of consistent results.
The Complex Challenge of Changing Teams in Formula 1
Switching teams in Formula 1 involves mastering new cars, operations, engines, and controls, all of which are not to be underestimated. Sainz spent four years with Ferrari—the longest stretch of his career with any single team—while Hamilton spent twelve years with Mercedes, his longest tenure, including eighteen years using Mercedes engines. Such long-term associations create deep familiarity and ingrained habits, making transitions more demanding.
An analogy illustrates the difficulty: moving from using a left-side indicator to a right-side one after just four years is challenging, but doing this after eighteen years is even more complicated. Simple actions, like turning and accidentally activating the windscreen wipers, underscore the depth of adjustment needed to change ingrained routines.
David Coulthard expressed skepticism about the cultural change narrative often invoked with team switches. Speaking to Channel 4, he said he found it hard to
“buy into the whole change your culture.”
He outlined the simplicity underlying Formula 1’s complexity:
“It’s a race car, right, left, throttle, brake,”
and added,
“Yes, there’s another way of terminology, but a power unit is a power unit. Downforce is downforce. When you break this sport down to its simplest forms, it’s about human and machine, and the very best at their peak are able to master that.”
This perspective raises the question of whether Sainz has hit his peak while Hamilton is past his prime. Hamilton’s struggle to adapt to the ground-effect aero cars, a challenge that affected Ferrari, Mercedes, and nearly every other team except Red Bull and McLaren, highlights this uncertainty.
Looking Ahead to F1 2025 and the Changing Landscape
The upcoming 2025 season promises significant changes with new engines, redesigned cars, and active aerodynamics. These cars will be shorter, lighter, and more agile, potentially reshaping the competitive order. Consequently, the breakthrough performances seen this year, like Sainz’s podium in Baku or Isack Hadjar’s third place in Zandvoort, could assume greater relevance in light of the approaching transformation.
Surprisingly, Sainz downplayed the significance of outperforming Hamilton in the current season. Addressing the comparison between their respective outcomes, Sainz said,
“What everyone else does is not my business, to be honest.”
He focused instead on the success achieved with Williams:
“What I care about is that the first opportunity that I had to score a podium with Williams, and the first opportunity Williams had to score a podium, we took it, we scored it, and there it is.”
Sainz acknowledged that adapting to a new team is challenging. Reflecting on his early competitiveness with Williams, he said,
“I think out of everyone that’s changed teams — which is not an easy task nowadays — I’ve been very competitive from the first race, very quick, but I didn’t have results with me. I didn’t have results to prove to myself, the team, and everyone that some good things were about to come.”
He added,
“But, in the end, they did. I think life has taught me many times that this sometimes happens — that you have a run of misfortune or bad performances, but then suddenly life gives you back if you keep working hard with something really sweet like this.”
Hamilton’s Focus Remains on Future Results, Not Past Comparisons
Lewis Hamilton has not yet reached the podium with Ferrari this season, and whether he will remain uncertain. Sitting sixth in the standings, the 40-year-old driver emphasizes the importance of better qualifying positions to improve race outcomes. Hamilton has only broken into the top ten on the grid twice in the last five races, limiting his chances for strong finishes.
He remarked,
“It would be nice, but it’s not really going to change much for me,”
regarding a podium finish this year. Regarding qualifying, Hamilton stated,
“If we qualify better, we’re going be in a much better position to race.”
Addressing technical upgrades, he added,
“I mean, I would give anything for an upgrade, but obviously we don’t have that to focus on next year’s car, so we just have to do better in optimising and execution.”
For Hamilton, whether it’s achieving P3 in a race or completing the season in second place in the championship, the only goal that matters is finishing first—both in individual races and in the overall title chase. Only if Sainz outperforms him by winning a race or the championship will the controversy around Hamilton’s Ferrari tenure become more credible.
