Carlos Sainz finished in second place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, bidding farewell to the Maranello team after four years.
Carlos Sainz said goodbye to Ferrari after four seasons with a second-place finish. In the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi, the Spaniard had a smooth race, finishing in second place behind Lando Norris. The Ferrari double podium did not allow the Maranello team to win the Constructors’ Championship, but there is still a great sense of pride.
The Spaniard, interviewed after the race, made the following statements. He said: “There are mixed feelings. Second place was the best we could do, considering the pace we had compared to Lando and McLaren. I gave it my all, especially in the first stint, it seemed like we could keep up with their pace, but then with the hard tires, they had those two tenths of extra speed that kept them out of our reach. Congratulations to McLaren, they deserved this championship, they’ve been very solid, and in the last 2/3 of the season, they’ve been incredible. From our side, I think we can be very proud of the effort and the season we managed to put together. It’s been a tough year, and we hope we can be back here very soon.”
Sainz then added: “The return lap was emotional, with the engineers talking to me over the radio. But at the same time, I’m very grateful to have been part of this fantastic team for four years. I think I had the opportunity to win my first race, to get pole positions, and my first podiums thanks to this team. I’ve proven to myself and to others that I’m capable of fighting for wins and podiums when the car allows me. From next year onward, my goal with Williams will be to focus on getting us back where we need to be together.”
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari