Carlos Sainz’s tenure as a Ferrari driver has come to an end. The Spaniard drove his last race for the Scuderia in Abu Dhabi. Sainz concludes the year with a bittersweet feeling, as the Italian racing team just fell short of securing enough points to win the constructors’ title from McLaren.
The Spaniard was on the front row at the start when Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri collided. This incident handed the Ferrari driver the second place, which he essentially held onto for the rest of the race. However, it was not enough for Ferrari to secure the constructors’ title, as McLaren’s Lando Norris finished as the winner.
“Thank you, Ferrari,” the Spaniard immediately said over the team radio after the finish. Sainz appeared visibly moved after his last race for the Ferrari team. “Of course it’s a bittersweet feeling,” admits the soon-to-be Williams driver after the race. “P2 was the maximum we could achieve today, given Norris’s pace. I gave it my all, but as soon as we were on the hard tyres, they were faster and got out of reach.”
Nevertheless, Sainz congratulates his former team on the constructors’ title. “McLaren deserved the championship, they were fantastic. But we can also be proud of ourselves. It was a tough year, but we can be proud of that.”
‘Proved Myself’
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was Sainz’s last race in Ferrari red, and the driver admits that there is some emotion involved. “I am very grateful to have been part of this amazing team for four years. I was able to win my first races here, secure my first pole positions here, achieve my first podiums. I proved to myself and everyone else that I could fight for victories, if I have the right car.
