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Sainz recalls his favourite memories with Ferrari and the one moment he will never forget
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Carlos Sainz has been reflecting back on some of his favourite memories from his four-year stint with Ferrari, with the Spaniard citing each of the race wins he achieved with the team as “very emotional” while also acknowledging that his first outing for the squad was “pretty special”.
Sainz replaced Sebastian Vettel as Charles Leclerc’s new team mate at the Italian outfit back in 2021, and in the seasons that followed the 30-year-old scored 25 podiums, six pole positions and four victories.
While his time at the Scuderia has come to an end – with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton in 2025 meaning that Sainz had to find another seat on the grid, eventually settling on Williams as his destination – Sainz has been looking back fondly on the moments that he shared with the team.
“It's very difficult to pick one of the four wins [as the most unforgettable], because they are all relatively similar in ways that they are… Four very different wins, but four very emotional,” Sainz explained during his final weekend as a Ferrari driver in Abu Dhabi.
Sainz embarked on the last race weekend of his four-year stint with Ferrari in Abu Dhabi
“Silverstone [in 2022] because it was the first one and the first one you never forget. Singapore because that year [2023] was quite special to win in Singapore, the way we won it.
“Australia [in 2024] because I was coming back from the tough winter and the appendicitis and suddenly I won and it was emotional. And then Mexico, because at the time it could be my last win and my mom was there, my whole family, my friends were there to see me win and it felt really special.
“At the same time, one moment that I will never forget was driving out of the pits in Fiorano for my first outing in a Ferrari. I think that's one thing that for sure will stay with me forever.
“And it was probably, out of the success or the great moments, that one is a pretty special one.”
Sainz achieved four wins with Ferrari, the last being his 2024 victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix
While his time with the squad has brought many happy memories, Sainz also acknowledged that the 2024 season was not always the easiest for him, having previously admitted during the process of trying to decide who he would race for next year that it was causing him “a bit of stress”.
“It's been a tough year in general with a lot going on in the background,” the four-time race winner conceded.
“I think I have to be quite happy, quite proud of how I handled every situation through the year and how I managed to push myself to get to the end of the year still in good shape, in good form and ready to fight for [the constructors’ championship].”
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