Ferrari's Decision to Replace Sainz with Hamilton: Charles Leclerc

Ferrari’s Decision to Replace Sainz with Hamilton: Charles Leclerc Reveals it A Risk or……read more

As of January 1, 2025, Carlos Sainz is no longer part of Ferrari, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton officially taking his place as the Scuderia’s second driver. Hamilton will now partner Charles Leclerc in the upcoming Formula 1 season. The decision has stirred debate, with former Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx sharing his thoughts on why the change occurred and whether marketing played a role in the team’s strategy.

Ickx, who raced for Ferrari in the 1970s and finished as the runner-up for the Drivers’ Championship that year, acknowledged Sainz’s strong performance at Ferrari. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, he praised the Spaniard’s efforts, saying, “Carlos Sainz has done very well at Ferrari.” Despite Sainz’s success, Ickx suggested that Ferrari’s decision to bring Hamilton into the fold could have been influenced by more than just sporting performance. “They were tempted to sign Hamilton probably also for marketing reasons,” he said. “And probably also because Lewis wanted to have a new experience and include Ferrari in his history.”

The Belgian went on to point out that while Sainz had delivered solid results for the team, winning races and achieving podiums, he believed Ferrari may have seen a long-term value in pairing Leclerc with a global icon like Hamilton. “There’s nothing to reproach Carlos for at Ferrari, he’s been successful, he’s won Grand Prix,” Ickx acknowledged. “But now that’s in the past. He has to think about what’s next,” he advised, hinting that a potential move to a team like Williams could be in Sainz’s future.

Ickx also reflected on the partnership between Sainz and Leclerc, which many considered effective. Both drivers were consistently competitive, with Sainz’s qualifying pace being just 0.026 seconds behind Leclerc’s. In races where both finished, Sainz was only 50 points behind his teammate. Ickx believes the partnership worked well, stating, “It worked, it worked, because both won races and they were always very close to each other.”

However, with Hamilton now joining the team, the dynamic will inevitably change. While Ferrari’s decision to replace Sainz with Hamilton has sparked much discussion, the real question will be whether it proves successful in the long run. The results of the 2025 season will likely determine if Ferrari’s decision was a smart one or if it was driven by the commercial appeal of having a driver with the stature of Hamilton.

As the season approaches, the debate over Ferrari’s choice will only intensify, with much attention focused on whether the pairing of Leclerc and Hamilton can bring the team the success it is aiming for.