Carlos Sainz snubbed Lewis Hamilton when naming the main competitors for the world title in 2025 - and the one driver that Formula 1 hasn't been completely 'fair' to.
Hamilton signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari in February 2024 to begin at the beginning of 2025.
He replaced Sainz at the Scuderia, who signed a contract with Williams for the upcoming campaign.
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The Spaniard won three races last season and was remarkably consistent during his time at Ferrari, though was not in a position to challenge for the Drivers' Championship during that time.
He has now signed a multi-year contract with Williams to become Alex Albon's team-mate, with the team looking to progress from their eighth-placed finish in last season's Constructors' Championship.
Hamilton, meanwhile, will be hoping to compete to win his record-breaking eighth Drivers' Championship, though will face stiff competition from the likes of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and new team-mate Charles Leclerc.
But when asked for the drivers he believes can win the championship this year, Sainz did not mention Hamilton's name.
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He told SoyMotor: "I don't know [who's going to win]. I think it will be among those first three [Verstappen, Norris, Leclerc] you have said.
"If Mercedes make a good car, I would put Russell in too. I think he is at a very good level. Any of those can beat each other this year."
Sainz also named the one driver that F1 has not been 'fair' to over the years - and it was one of Hamilton's former great rivals.
The Spaniard declared that his compatriot Fernando Alonso was the driver in question.
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Alonso won back-to-back world titles in 2005 and 2006 but subsequent moves to Renault and McLaren - between a five-season stint at Ferrari - yielded little success.
His time with the Scuderia saw him be in world title contention twice heading into the last race of the season, but he lost out to Sebastian Vettel in both 2010 and 2012.
Alonso took two years out of the sport in 2019 and 2020 before rejoining Renault as it rebranded into Alpine.
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A move to Aston Martin from 2023 was an initial success as the now 43-year-old battled for race wins, but the team could not maintain his performance levels towards the end of the season and struggled again in 2024.
Sainz explained: "It shows you how difficult it is [with current regulations] with Aston Martin.
"It is a world that, as much as it's not fair sometimes - and with Fernando, with the talent, it has not been completely fair - it continues to keep you hooked and it is the sport that entertains us the most."
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Formula 1
Ryan Smart