Carlos Sainz has come to the defense of Lewis Hamilton, expressing empathy for the seven-time World Champion as he navigates a challenging adaptation period at Ferrari
The Spanish driver, who recently moved to Williams to partner with Alexander Albon after four seasons in Maranello, spoke to El Mundo Deportivo about his successor in red—referring to Hamilton’s arrival as the “move of the century.”
Hamilton’s start to the season has been far from stellar—mirroring the struggles of the Scuderia itself. Despite high expectations surrounding the SF-25 and initial promises by team principal Frédéric Vasseur to fight for both championships, the team has underdelivered. Aside from a standout performance in the Chinese Sprint race, Hamilton has generally lagged behind teammate Charles Leclerc across the opening nine races.
“Adapting is not an excuse”
Hamilton’s start to the season has been far from stellar—mirroring the struggles of the Scuderia itself. Despite high expectations surrounding the SF-25 and initial promises by team principal Frédéric Vasseur to fight for both championships, the team has underdelivered. Aside from a standout performance in the Chinese Sprint race, Hamilton has generally lagged behind teammate Charles Leclerc across the opening nine races.
“First of all, I understand him, because I know how complicated it is”
Speaking on the topic, Sainz shared:”First of all, I understand him, because I know how complicated it is. s it a matter of pride? Not really. You just come to understand how difficult it is. I’ve suffered through it—I’ve changed teams five times. In the past, adapting was considered almost exceptional. Everyone expected me to be at full performance by the third race “.
He continued by drawing parallels with Daniel Ricciardo’s past transitions:
“I remember when Ricciardo moved to Renault and later to McLaren—he went through the same adjustment period. I experienced that process with every team I joined. In the past, people dismissed it as just an excuse. But now that a seven-time World Champion like Hamilton is struggling with it too, I think it validates what I was saying five or ten years ago—things people didn’t understand then, but do now “.
On His Time with Ferrari: “You can go through five or six difficult months with a team while you adapt, but what really matters is reaching your peak. Because once you get there, you start showing your true value. I hit my stride around mid-2022, with pole positions in Silverstone, Austin, and Spa, and I won a race in 2023. In the end, I reached the level I always wanted to achieve. What counts is getting there “.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP, Carlos Sainz X