Legendary rally champion reacted to Ferrari’s decision regarding his son

Carlos Sainz Sr., father of Carlos Sainz and two-time world rally champion, has commented on Ferrari’s decision to replace his son with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Sainz was left without a seat at Ferrari last year and later joined Williams. In 2025, the Spaniard outperformed Hamilton and achieved two podiums, while the Briton had none.

Carlos Sainz Sr. emphasized that neither he nor his son criticized Hamilton:

“It’s not our problem, it’s not Carlos’ problem. Ferrari was close to winning the constructors’ championship in 2024, but this year the team has faced difficulties. My advice, and Carlos agrees, is to focus on your work. The world is already too complex to worry about everyone. Let people draw their own conclusions,” he said.

At the same time, Sainz Sr. believes that his son can become a world champion:

“I have a lot of confidence in him and I want to believe that it is possible. I am his father and I have seen how talented he is. If he is in the right place at the right time, he can really achieve this. Everything has to match perfectly. He works and fights for it,” he added.

The rally champion also noted that success depends on the car and the team:

“Unfortunately, I don’t have a crystal ball to know how teams are preparing for radical changes in F1. It all depends on the engine and the chassis. It would be good for Williams to produce a competitive car and fight for the podium. Now they can be at the bottom, middle or top of the table and under the new rules the stronger teams have more resources.”