"He would be one of my idols": Carlos Sainz makes his feelings clear on Lewis Hamilton despite being replaced by ex-Mercedes star

Carlos Sainz Jr. has offered a candid reflection on Lewis Hamilton, the man who took his Ferrari seat for 2025. The Spaniard admitted that if the Briton wasn’t a direct rival, he would still be one of his idols. The comment comes during a year in which both drivers have been adjusting to new teams, Sainz at Williams and Hamilton at Ferrari, with mixed fortunes shaping their early campaigns.

The high-profile seat swap was one of the defining moves of the 2024 driver market. Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari pushed Sainz out after four seasons with the Scuderia, a spell that delivered consistent podiums and memorable wins. While the Briton has so far struggled to get comfortable in red, Sainz’s early results with Williams culminated in a breakthrough podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Yet the Spaniard insisted he holds nothing but admiration for his former Ferrari successor. Speaking on BBC Radio 1’s All Day Breakfast with Greg James, Carlos Sainz recalled:

“For me, honestly, it’s because he’s my competitor but if I was not in F1, he would be one of my idols. When I was 10 years old is when he arrived to Formula 1 and he became world champion in (2008), I was 12 years old and that’s when I started watching Formula 1, when he was racing Fernando Alonso and (Felipe) Massa and everyone. He used to be one of my idols and one of the people that I looked up to, but now he’s one of my competitors years 10 years 15 years later.’’ [9:00 onwards]

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes at Silverstone, 2022. Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton’s legacy is enormous. A runner-up as a rookie in 2007 and world champion in 2008, he has gone on to win seven titles across a glittering career. Sainz recalled that he was 14 at the time, watching from home. By the time he entered F1 in 2015 with Toro Rosso, Hamilton already had three titles to his name.

Their paths crossed at Ferrari 10 years later, when Carlos Sainz made way at the end of 2024 for the British veteran, who wanted to end his career in red. However, the Spaniard still maintains a strong bond with his former team, stating that Ferrari congratulated him after his first podium with Williams. He was also spotted travelling back to the airport from Baku with Charles Leclerc, highlighting the relationship he still shares with his old teammate.

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Carlos Sainz believes he has adapted the best 'out of everyone that’s changed teams' after Baku

Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams after the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan. Source: Getty

While Lewis Hamilton is still searching for his first podium with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz has given Williams their first podium in four years. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a turning point for Williams. delivered their first full-race podium since 2017 with a P3 finish, after starting second and running faultlessly throughout.

It was his first podium in Williams colors, and one that he described as proof that persistence pays off. Speaking after the race, Sainz told Planet F1:

"I think out of everyone that’s changed teams, which is not an easy task nowadays, I’ve been very competitive from the first race, very quick, but I didn’t have results with me. I didn’t have results to prove to myself, the team, and everyone that some good things were about to come. But, in the end, they did."

The comments underline just how significant Baku was for both driver and team. For Carlos Sainz, it validated his early pace in the FW47 and gave Williams a long-awaited celebration. For his teammate Alex Albon, a penalty dropped him to P13 after a scrappy race from the back. Still, the bigger picture was Sainz delivering Williams back to the podium on merit.

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari continued. The Briton was out in Q2, and rallied to an P8 finish after a P12 start. In the championship standings, Hamilton sits sixth with 121 points while Sainz is 12th on 31. The contrast reflects just how differently each adaptation has unfolded.

With Singapore up next on October 5, the paddock moves to a circuit that has historically delivered shocks. For Carlos Sainz and Williams, momentum is finally building. For Lewis Hamilton, the wait for a true breakthrough in red remains.