Carlos Sainz has revealed he tried to absorb learnings from his last laps with Ferrari in Formula 1‘s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to understand where Williams must improve.
Sainz concluded his spell with Ferrari with a visit to the podium as his second place wasn’t enough to help the team beat McLaren to the Constructors’ Championship.
The Spaniard will be out on track at the Yas Marina Circuit again this week, but his upcoming outing will transpire in a Williams car rather than the race-winning SF-24.
Sainz will vacate his Ferrari seat to seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, whose decision to leave Mercedes has seen his predecessor secure a move to Williams.
With Williams rounding out 2024 languishing in ninth place, Sainz is poised to experience a rude awakening once he samples the FW46 throughout the next two days.
Sainz has disclosed that his attention in the closing laps of the race began to pivot towards obtaining a recollection of how the Ferrari handled to help his future team.
Asked whether he would encounter a hard time moving on, Sainz told media including Motorsport Week: “Being very honest with you, I don’t think so.
“I’m not going to lie, my last laps, as much as I was pushing like hell for this team and trying to, I was already starting to feel things in the car and trying to say, ‘remember how this feels’.
“Because tomorrow and Tuesday I need to remember, why is this car quick in this corner and why does it feel good?
“Because I know probably what I’m going to find tomorrow, and Tuesday needs some margin of improvement in the corners that I was feeling the car.
“So this just sums up that I’m already looking also ahead.
“I’m extremely motivated for the challenge that I have ahead of me. Today is a day to try and enjoy as much as possible with the team as my last day in red.
“We still have some days in Maranello coming up, but my competitive mind is already looking forward to Monday and Tuesday and to see how I can make that Williams car faster.”
Sainz recalls emotional Ferrari swansong
Sainz has expressed that it was a “strange” feeling stepping out of the Ferrari post-race with the acknowledgement that he has completed his final race with the team.
“A bit emotional, I’m not going to lie,” he added. “Probably, I would say it was more emotional the last time that I jumped in the car, in the grid.
“I knew that was obviously going to be my last race with a group of people that I’ve enjoyed these last four years.
“The last time that I would jump in a Ferrari car, probably, and I was just feeling emotional.
“I tried to remind myself to try and enjoy the race as much as possible and to give the absolute maximum for this team. Jumping out of the car, I already had the bittersweet feeling…”
READ MORE – Carlos Sainz poised to conduct earlier Williams F1 debut outing
