“Thank you Ferrari,” Carlos Sainz shares heartfelt farewell message on team radio after final outing with the Scuderia

After finishing his last race with Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi GP, Carlos Sainz expressed gratitude to the team.

“Thank you Ferrari,” Carlos Sainz shares heartfelt farewell message on team radio after final outing with the Scuderia

Carlos Sainz (via IMAGO)

With Abu Dhabi hosting the final race of the F1 season, an atmosphere of goodbyes filled the paddock as soon as the chequered flag was waved. This included Carlos Sainz, who raced for the final time repping Ferrari, who expressed his gratitude for the Scuderia.

Carlos Sainz started the race in P3 and quickly gained a position after the chaotic race start saw Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri facing the wrong way. He piled the pressure on Lando Norris as the constructors’ championship lay in the balance, and was looking to bring back the title to Maranello.

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However, McLaren was clear of Ferrari throughout the weekend. This held back Sainz in his pursuit of victory and finished as the runner-up behind the Briton.

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After the championship defeat, the prancing horses then refocused on celebrating the Spaniard’s farewell. Subsequently, the 30-year-old thanked Ferrari for their time together ahead of his move to Williams.

Thank you Ricky. Thank you Ferrari. It’s been a pleasure driving for you guys.

Carlos Sainz said over the radio

Though Sainz finished as the runner-up, his pace was similar to Norris for most of the race. He also held a comfortable 20-second lead that covered any threats from behind.

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Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri (via IMAGO, @Formula1/X, Screenshot)

Carlos Sainz says P2 in Abu Dhabi is a “bittersweet feeling”

Ferrari lost the constructors’ championship to McLaren as they eventually fell short by 14 points. After 24 rounds of racing, it came out to be less than a single point per race weekend that held back the Italian powerhouse from ending their almost two-decade-long title drought.

Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz (via IMAGO)

That feeling was conveyed by both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc in their post-race interviews. The former said they while McLaren deserve to win the title, Ferrari should be provide of staying in the title fight till the very end.

A bittersweet feeling in the end. P2 was the maximum we could do, given the pace of Lando in the McLaren. Congratulations to McLaren, they deserve this championship, they have been rock solid in the last two-thirds of the season. It’s been a tough year, but a year we can be proud of. Emotional in-lap, at the same time very grateful to have been part of this amazing team for four years. I won races, pole positions, podiums. I proved to everyone, I can fight for wins in the right car.

Carlos Sainz said after the race
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Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Zak Brown

McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collectively bagged six wins in the season and remained consistent during tough spells. This ultimately helped the English team lift the elusive title after a 25-year-long wait.