Carlos Sainz's Ferrari exit explained by Frederic Vasseur
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Frederic Vasseur, the Ferrari team principal, recently shed light on why he informed Carlos Sainz early in the year that his contract would not be renewed.
The announcement, which came after Ferrari secured a deal with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for 2025, effectively ended Sainz's stint with the Scuderia.
The timing of the announcement surprised many, but Vasseur's intention was clear: he wanted to give Sainz ample time to focus on his current season. Vasseur had discussed the decision with Sainz weeks before the public announcement in early February.
"If you look at the first part of the season, considering he missed Jeddah, he performed very well," Vasseur noted.
"Carlos is extremely professional and consistent. My goal with the early announcement was to help him stay focused on the season."
Sainz, who took up a new role at Williams for the long term, needed several months to make his decision.
Vasseur has emphasised that the early news was to prevent potential distractions. "I anticipated the need for Carlos to sign elsewhere, and while it could have been a distraction, it was better to address it sooner," Vasseur explained.
"Carlos has been professional from day one this season, as he was last year."
The Ferrari boss praised Sainz's performance despite the off-track news. Sainz began the season strongly, securing a podium finish in the opening race and winning the Australian Grand Prix shortly after recovering from an appendicitis operation.
He also added another third-place finish in Japan and several other podiums throughout the season.
As the summer break approached, media speculation about Sainz's future increased, but Vasseur defended his driver. "The media focus grew in the weeks leading up to the summer break, which was a distraction," Vasseur admitted.
"However, if you look at qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, Carlos did an excellent job in Q1 and Q2. The minor mistake in Q3 was not indicative of any distraction."
With the Formula 1 season set to resume at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort on August 25, the spotlight will shift to the next chapter in the championship battle.
