Carlos Sainz, the driving force ditched by Ferrari to make means for Lewis Hamilton, believes his previous group might now be even higher positioned to return to the summit of Formulation One with the previous world champion on board. Hamilton joined Ferrari from Mercedes, with the 40-year-old set to make his debut for the Italian giants at subsequent month’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix as he goes in the hunt for a record-breaking eighth drivers’ world title.
Sainz made means for Hamilton’s transfer, with the 30-year-old Spaniard now lining up for Williams as an alternative in Melbourne on March 16 after spending three years driving alongside Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
However Sainz, talking at British group Williams’s 2025 launch at Silverstone on Friday, stated: “Once I left, I did really feel that each Ferrari and Charles have been able to struggle for a world championship, and with Lewis becoming a member of that’s solely going to extend.
“I’ve by no means been team-mates with Lewis so I do not know what he’s able to doing. I’ve by no means seen his knowledge. I’ve seen Charles’s knowledge and I understand how good he’s.
“The one means you’ll be able to consider a driver is when you’re a team-mate and also you see what they’re able to doing.
“However once I have a look at Lewis’s outcomes and his background, and what he has achieved, I can solely say that there shall be a really excessive probability that he’s going to be aggressive for Ferrari.”
Hamilton is ready to unveil his new Ferrari on the Formulation One season launch on the O2 Area in London on Tuesday earlier than heading to the group’s Maranello headquarters the subsequent day, the place he is because of converse to the media for the primary time as a Ferrari driver.
Williams completed a lowly ninth within the 2024 constructors standings however Sainz insists he can assist revive the fortunes of the nine-time champions.
“I consider I convey numerous information, numerous issues you understand, that I believe may very well be utilized to this automobile and to the group on the similar time,” stated Sainz.
“I see a group that’s prepared additionally to struggle for wins. It is only a matter of getting every part across the group to ensure we’re giving additionally all of the engineers and all of the mechanics and the drivers the proper instruments to compete on the highest degree.”
Sainz, a winner of 4 Grand Prix, will team-up alongside Alex Albon at Williams for the brand new 24-round season, with the 28-year-old London-born driver relishing the competitors.
“I’m going up towards somebody (Sainz) who has bought a giant repute, has simply come from a really robust 12 months, presumably his finest in Formulation One, so that may be a nice problem to have and a optimistic outlook for me,” Albon stated.
“I consider in myself and I’m comfortable to go up towards anybody.”
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