"Definitely not the best feeling” - Despite Ferrari heartbreak, Carlos Sainz aiming to win the 2024 F1 title in his final season with Scuderia

Carlos Sainz is aiming to win the World Championship in his final F1 season with Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton will be making a historical move to Ferrari in 2025, replacing Sainz. The latter has been racing with the team since the 2021 season and has achieved two wins so far; the only two of his F1 career.

The announcement was made earlier this month and while many might expect Sainz to be disappointed, he revealed to Sky Italia that he wasn't.

"No, I was not disappointed," F1 quoted him. "Experiencing Ferrari from the inside, I already knew several things, and I prepared with the team for future changes."

Even though he will be replaced after the 2024 season, Carlos Sainz disclosed that he is still aiming to win the World Championship in his final season with the Italian team. He also stated that it isn't the "best feeling" to start a season knowing he will be replaced, but his focus remains intact.

"It’s definitely not the best feeling to start with the season, but the moment I put on my helmet in Bahrain and go out on the track, the only feeling I’ll have is the will to go harder and harder, also aiming to win the championship," the Spaniard said.

Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver in the past season to win a Grand Prix. This happened in Singapore which marked his second F1 victory. Ferrari is expected to be stronger this season in contrast to 2023, but it is hard to say if they will be the contenders for the World Championship, which is the Spaniard's aim.

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Carlos Sainz linked to Red Bull by former F1 team owner

There has been quite a speculation surrounding Carlos Sainz's future in F1. Before Ferrari, he raced with McLaren and Toro Rosso. It has been mentioned that he might make a move to Audi in 2026, but that still leaves him without a seat in the 2025 F1 season.

Eddie Jordan, who founded the Jordan Grand Prix F1 team, stated on the Formula for Success podcast that it is a tough time that Carlos Sainz is facing, while also linking him to Red Bull as Sergio Perez's replacement. PlanetF1 quoted him:

"I would say the natural progression for him is to replace Perez, if that’s the situation. But nevertheless, I don’t know how long that would last for because I think Albon has to be a contender certainly for ’26. So it’s a difficult time for Carlos Sainz, an incredibly difficult time."

It was reported earlier by Motorsport that Red Bull is attempting to have a 'first refusal' on Alex Albon after his contract with Williams has expired.