Ferrari management has expressed doubts about the recent personnel changes: Carlos Sainz’s departure and Lewis Hamilton’s arrival have become topics of discussion within the team. After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Hamilton and Leclerc finished eighth and ninth while Sainz secured a podium with Williams, the team began analyzing the consequences of this decision.
Former Haas team principal and now head of Tech3 in MotoGP, Günther Steiner, shared his view that some Ferrari staff regret parting ways with Sainz. According to him, while management is not ready to admit a mistake officially, within the team it’s discussed that the Spanish driver delivered consistent results and did not create additional complications.
Within Ferrari, it is noted that Hamilton’s arrival shifted the team’s focus towards adapting the car for the Briton and trying to level the playing field with Leclerc. According to some experts, this distracted from the main goal—improving competitiveness on the track. Meanwhile, Sainz, upon joining Williams, immediately demonstrated a high level of performance, further fueling comparisons between Ferrari’s former and current drivers.
The financial aspect has also come under scrutiny. Hamilton’s contract is valued at more than 55 million euros a year, while Sainz was earning about 12 million. The team is questioning whether such a significant salary gap is justified by the current on-track results.
Overall, the situation surrounding Ferrari illustrates how personnel decisions can impact team dynamics and development strategy. In the near future, the team will continue to seek the best ways to return to top results, analyzing both the sporting and economic consequences of its actions.
