Carlos Sainz comments on Lewis Hamilton's 'misfortune' at Ferrari after outclassing him with Williams

Carlos Sainz has shared his feelings about Lewis Hamilton's state at Ferrari after outscoring the seven-time F1 champion in podium finishes in 2025. Sainz secured two unexpected podiums with Williams this year, while Hamilton, the driver who replaced him at Ferrari, did not manage to secure any.

Hamilton had a tough time adapting to Ferrari's operations. He documented his suggestions and sent them back to the Maranello headquarters on more than one occasion, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz, who was expected to toil for points in 2025, with the season effectively being written off by Williams even before it began, saw himself on podiums in Baku and Qatar. In a recent interview with Marca, when the Spaniard was asked if he felt 'satisfied' taking a 2-0 lead over Hamilton in podium finishes, he replied:

"No, I'm satisfied with my two podium finishes. I'm not at all satisfied with someone else's misfortune. I'm satisfied that I achieved two podiums with Williams in Baku and Qatar, and another one in the Austin Sprint, and I'm satisfied to do it when last year, there were many doubts about whether I could achieve it."

Carlos Sainz celebrates his podium finish at the 2025 F1 Qatar Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Sainz had shown the same respect for Hamilton after securing his first podium with Williams at the Azerbaijan GP this year. When asked what it felt like getting his first podium with Williams before Hamilton's first with Ferrari, the Spaniard said it was 'not his business' to comment on another driver's performance, and focused on capitalizing on the opportunities that presented him at his new team.

Carlos Sainz felt 'strange' about people feeling 'sorry' for his move from Ferrari to Williams

Carlos Sainz with the Williams team at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Carlos Sainz was forced to depart Ferrari despite not putting one foot wrong during his four-year stint with the team. The Spaniard secured multiple podiums with the Scuderia over four seasons, including four race wins. Two of those came in the 2024 season, which he knew was his last with the iconic F1 team.

Leaving Ferrari for Williams, a backmarker that earned only 17 points in 2024 and finished ninth in the standings, was objectively a step down. He'd had talks with Mercedes and Red Bull, but the contract offers weren't attractive.

Eventually, he found promise at Williams, which was steering a new path under James Vowles. When that move was announced, Carlos Sainz sensed that many people felt sad for him.

"When I announced I was going to Williams, I felt that some people felt sorry for me," Sainz said via Marca. "It was a bit of a strange feeling... some journalists, social media. I don't know. I didn't see it that way. For me, it was a new chapter, another opportunity."

"And when I arrived here in the paddock on Tuesday for the 2024 Abu Dhabi test, wearing a white helmet and racing suit, and I got into the Williams and started working, I was only thinking about the future, not the past. In the end, look, this year things have gone well for me, as I thought they could, and that's what satisfies me the most," the Spaniard added.

Carlos Sainz had many tough weekends with Williams, but finished ninth in the drivers' standings with 64 points, nine points behind Williams teammate Alex Albon. Lewis Hamilton, who was in a better car than Sainz for most of the season, finished in sixth place with 156 points, 86 points behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. 2025 was the first F1 season in Hamilton's career, where he secured no podiums.