“Expected,” Carlos Sainz gives blunt verdict on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles

Carlos Sainz reacted to Lewis Hamilton's struggles at Ferrari after the Briton replaced him earlier this year.

“Expected,” Carlos Sainz gives blunt verdict on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles

Lewis Hamilton (via Getty Images), Carlos Sainz (via Goodwood)

Lewis Hamilton‘s switch to Scuderia Ferrari came as a shock to the entire sporting world. One driver in particular, Carlos Sainz was left stunned. As the Spanish driver was forced out of Maranello to make way for the seven-time world champion. With five races into the current season, Hamilton has failed to live up to expectations. Now, Sainz has not held back from giving a brute verdict on the Briton’s performance.

So far this season, Lewis Hamilton has seemingly lost his old form. The seven-time world champion has struggled to closely match his teammate Charles Leclerc. Moreover, the Briton’s title ambitions have gone down the drain, with only a sprint win to his name so far. The performance has declined to an extent that concerns have been raised over Hamilton being stuck in the same loop he faced at Mercedes.

Carlos Sainz acknowledged that changing teams is not easy in Formula 1. The Williams driver bluntly accepted that he expected Hamilton to struggle at Ferrari. Although, Sainz himself knew that he might also find it difficult. While Lewis Hamilton was entering Charles Leclerc’s arena at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz joined Williams, a team that had developed around Alex Albon in the past three seasons.

I think for me I expected it to myself and I expected it with him. Because in this sport there’s no secrets and when you are up against two teammates like we are, like Alex and Charles, that they know the team inside out, they are already performing at the maximum that their car can perform.

Carlos Sainz said, as reported by Motorsportweek

Carlos Sainz hails Lewis Hamilton’s ‘amazing’ weekend in China

The Chinese GP has been the standout race for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion showed glimpses of brilliance in Shanghai. The 40-year-old dominated the sprint race, even fending off Max Verstappen on pure pace.

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

However, things went downhill after the sprint. A Ferrari set-up change made things much more difficult for Hamilton. The race went from bad to worse after he and Charles Leclerc were disqualified for two separate errors. The DSQs were a major embarrassment for the Scuderia, as such mistakes are unacceptable in Formula 1. This led to what was a great start to the weekend, turn into a chaotic time for the seven-time world champion and his team.

Carlos Sainz printed towards the silver lining for Hamilton in Shanghai, claiming that he did a great job that weekend. The Spanish driver insisted that it takes more time for drivers to fully adjust to their new teams. Lewis Hamilton’s performance at the Chinese GP showed that he does have the pace to dominate the grid even now. Unfortunately, it has been the only real demonstration of his speed so far this year. With the Briton failing to carry that momentum forward since then.

Lewis had an amazing weekend in China. He seems to have a bit more trouble now but it’s going to take time for both.

Carlos Sainz added

Certainly, Lewis Hamilton has a lot to do to redeem himself this year. The Briton has failed to bounce back after a couple of woeful stints at Mercedes. Ferrari was believed to be the right environment for Hamilton to thrive again. Yet, the 40-year-old continues to face setbacks as he tries to adjust himself to the Italian team. The Tifosi would be hoping that the seven-time world champion finds himself back in contention for wins in the next few races.

Also Read: “No doubt about that,” Sebastian Vettel gives blunt verdict on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari disaster