Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc speak up on the Carlos Sainz phenomenon as he steps into a shoes which will keep him off the F1 podium for a while.
Having been the two teammates closest to Sainz, both Norris and Leclerc have plenty to say on the Spaniard’s capabilities. They both saw him in close quarters and know how he performs at every level, whether it is delivering on-track and or speaking in debriefs to push the team forward.
Sainz is forced to leave Ferrari at its peak time to join Williams, who won’t be fighting for podiums at least in 2025, where the 2026 chapter remains unknown for everyone. With the Spaniard relegated to fighting for points in the midfield, F1 is losing a driver who can genuinely fight for race wins.
And both Norris and Leclerc concur on that. They hope that Sainz can push Williams forward in quick time to join them in the podium fight. “The next driver who’s coming in [at Ferrari] is also pretty handy,” the Brit started. “It’s different. I mean, Carlos is someone I know well. And I’ve started racing in Formula 1 with Carlos. You always knew he was going to be there.
“He was always going to put up a good fight as we saw in Abu Dhabi. In all of my meetings that day, I was saying to the guys, like, let’s be careful of Carlos, OK? Because I was ready for him to attack a lot and put up a good fight. He’ll be back. Williams have been improving a lot. They’ve not had someone with a lot of genuine experience from a top team.
“Carlos will for sure add to that and propel the team forwards even more. They’ve gone under a lot of changes in the last few months and year or so. Even this year, there were some times when Williams were very quick. I’m expecting to still see him on track. I’m sure next year, Williams will take a good step forwards from where they are now. We don’t know. We don’t know when they’ll be fighting.
“Even in 2026. It’s a year which is just over one year away from now, but 2026 is a year where anything can happen. Williams can be at the top all of a sudden. So we’ll wait and see. But it’s a shame because I think he’s proven himself enough in in Formula 1 that he deserves a good seat. He deserves to fight for championships and wins and those types of things and it’s a shame when that opportunity is lost.
“But it’s not because he’s not got talent or he’s not got the ability, right? It’s because it’s the biggest name in Formula 1 who wants his seat. And yeah, we’ll see in the future what it takes. See how Lewis does in Ferrari with Charles and against Charles. But he’s proven himself enough. So I don’t think anyone needs to doubt him. And I’m sure his time will come back again and he’ll help Williams fight back to the top,” summed up Norris.
Leclerc, meanwhile, had similar views. “I completely agree,” he said. “I think Lando and myself are probably the two best persons to speak about it, because we’ve been sharing the same team with Carlos for many years. And I can tell you, Carlos is so incredibly talented. He’s helped me to improve in so many areas, his work ethic, his talent, just everything he brings.
“The discipline he has, he’s been just such an incredible team-mate. And I think, I will repeat myself, but if today we have done such a step forward in a year and in these four years, it’s a big thanks to Carlos. He’s just been extremely quick. And in Formula 1, as Lando said, some things you don’t really have explanations for.
“There’s also luck that is involved to be at the right place at the right time and Carlos definitely deserves to be in a top team. But I’m sure that it’s just a matter of time before he comes back and joins us to fight for wins. He will give so much to Williams, the way he’s so sensitive to every small change and every small feeling there is in the car.
“I’m pretty sure that already in the test, they will have a lot of valuable feedback that will help them for next year. But yeah, I’ll definitely miss the fights. We’ve had our moments on track, but that’s only because we were fighting so close together and because he’s been pushing me all the way. And it’s been an absolute pleasure.
“And of course, in some moments, in the actual moment, in the present moment, there’s frustration. But I’m sure that, and actually already now, I’m looking back at those moments. with a lot of positive memories. And I wouldn’t be the driver I am today without him as my team-mate in the last four years.
“So yeah, it’s been a really big pleasure and four years that I will be looking back in the most positive way. And I wish him the best. But as I said, I have no doubts that he will be back at the top of the grid, whether it’s with Williams by his input or with someone else. But he deserves that. I think everybody knows that. And it’s just a matter of time before he comes back,” summed up Leclerc.
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Here’s Ferrari farewell to Carlos Sainz
Here’s Carlos Sainz relaying his emotions at Ferrari
Here’s Ferrari and Cadillac deal
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