Carlos Sainz's dad sets record straight on Lewis Hamilton move that cost his son
Carlos Sainz's dad sets record straight on Lewis Hamilton move that cost his son
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Lewis Hamilton initiated the talks with Ferrari which ultimately led to Carlos Sainz losing his place with the team, the Spaniard's father has claimed. Sainz impressed over four seasons with the Italian team, winning four races and working well with team-mate Charles Leclerc. But his final Ferrari campaign was completed in the full knowledge that he was headed for the exit door at the end of the season.
The Scuderia had already pinned Leclerc down to a new long-term contract and agreed to sign Hamilton, who had decided to leave Mercedes. With no race seats left, Sainz had to look elsewhere and, after months of deliberation, elected to join the Williams project on a long-term contract.
Naturally, he had caught the scent of things happening behind the scenes long before they were made public. It was his father Carlos Sainz Snr, a successful rally racer, who tipped Toto Wolff off that Mercedes were about to lose their seven-time champion.
And, speaking to Spanish media, the 62-year-old said it was Hamilton himself who initiated the talks with Ferrari. Asked if he felt his son had been treated poorly by Ferrari, he replied: "I wouldn't describe it as the Scuderia behaving badly. The circumstances of the perfect storm have arisen.
"Ferrari was happy with Carlos but the possibility appeared because Hamilton himself produced it. It is he who approached Ferrari, then the circumstances arose. Perhaps that process could have been clearer, but then it would have been leaked and Ferrari did not want it to be.".
