Ferrari's decision "hurt at the time", reckons Sainz

Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz is approaching the final leg of his career at Ferrari after the Scuderia had made the decision earlier to sign seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 F1 season.

The Madrid-born driver has won four races with Ferrari since joining the Maranello-based outfit at the start of the 2021 season, of which he scored two victories this year, most recently at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Ahead of his looming exit from Formula One's most successful team, the four-time F1 race winner insists that while he is optimistic, he has been left with a "bittersweet" feeling given the fact that he will depart from the Italian team that has shown impressive form recently.

Reflecting on leaving Ferrari at the end of the season, Sainz has acknowledged that he still struggled to understand certain decisions that led to his departure from the Scuderia.

"It hurt at the time. We all have egos.... I have a driver ego, and I couldn't understand it at the time. I still personally cannot understand certain choices that people have done.

"At the same time, it creates even more of a challenge in me, it even makes me more excited for Williams," the four-time F1 race winner is quoted as saying by Sky Sports.