F1 News
Ferrari dissolved a good partnership? "Sainz and Leclerc evenly matched"
As of January 1st 2025 Sainz is no longer a part of Ferrari. Seven time world champion, Lewis Hamilton is oficially the Scuderia's second driver and will find himself partnering Charles Leclerc in the upcoming F1 season. Jacky Ickx has pondered on the Italian marquee's decision and does not disregard marketing as one of the factors behind the decision to replace the Spaniard with the British driver.
Is marketing the reason behind Sainz being replaced with Hamilton?
Speaking to mundodeportivo, former Ferrari driver, Jacky Ickx has said his piece on the much debated silly season move. "We'll see next year. Carlos Sainz has done very well at Ferrari," said the Belgian praising Sainz for his job in red. But pondering on why Ferrari President, John Elkann, and team boss, Frederic Vasseur, pushed for the move Ickx states the following: "They were tempted to sign Hamilton probably also for marketing reasons and probably also because Lewis wanted to have a new experience and include Ferrari in his history."
The 1970 Drivers' title runner up with Ferrari, also spared a few words on Sainz' performance for the Prancing Horse. "We'll see. There's nothing to reproach Carlos for at Ferrari, he's been successful, he's won Grand Prix," before issuing an advice for the Madrid born driver. "But now that's in the past. He has to think about what's next," concluding that Williams could run very well come tomorrow.
Evenly matched Ferrari partnership comes to an end, mistake by Ferrari?
Ickx also commented on the duo formed by Sainz and current Ferrari leader, Charles Leclerc, complimenting the duo's on track success. "It worked, it worked, because both won races and they were always very close to each other," concluded the F1 legend, and the stats seem to back this notion since the Spaniard was only 0,026s off from Leclerc's qualifying pace, and 50 points adrift from the Monegasque in the races where both saw the chequered flag.
It doesn't look like the noise surrounding the much debated driver switch will dial down anytime soon. In fact, in a few weeks time it will most likely gain momentum. Whether it will be positive or negative, that will depend solely on the results achieved by Ferrari with Hamilton as a driver.
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