Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Formula 1
Ryan Smart
Former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz gave an honest response when asked to assess how replacement Lewis Hamilton has performed for his old team.
Hamilton signed for Ferrari from the beginning of 2025, but has not yet been given the machinery to challenge for Grand Prix victories.
The Scuderia finished in second place in the Constructors' Championship last season but are currently some way off that pace, with Charles Leclerc picking up 47 points from the five Grand Prix weekends thus far and Hamilton 31.
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The Brit did win the sprint race in China, but his car was some way off the pace over the full race distance on the Sunday and both Ferraris were subsequently disqualified anyway.
He finished seventh at the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and described his race as 'horrible', before adding that 2025 looked set to be 'painful' for Ferrari.
Sainz, meanwhile, has had a tough start to life at new team Williams in 2025.
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He has scored just five points to new team-mate Alex Albon's 20 in the opening five Grands Prix.
The Spaniard did show his true pace during the early laps in Bahrain, though a collision with Yuki Tsunoda caused major damage to his floor and caused his retirement.
And in Saudi Arabia, Sainz was again quicker than Albon and finished in P8.
Ahead of this weekend's Miami Grand Prix, Sainz was asked if he was surprised by Hamilton's struggles at Ferrari - and gave a refreshingly honest answer.
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He said: "I'm not surprised at all. I think for me, I expected it for myself, and I expected it with him. Because in this sport, there are no secrets.
"When you are up against two team-mates like we are, like Alex and Charles, they know the team inside out. They are already performing at the maximum that the car can perform. So you can only do just a little bit better or the same as them.
"You cannot suddenly arrive and be two to three tenths quicker, because it's not possible. They are already at the limit of the car.
"So when you jump to a new team and you're expected, by yourself and by everyone around you, to be at that level, you know it's going to take time.
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"But for some drivers, it might take longer or shorter. Lewis had an amazing weekend in China, then he seemed to be having a bit more trouble now. But it's going to take time for both [himself and Hamilton]."