Formula One F1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 8, 2024 Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. during a pit stop REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/Pool
ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Carlos Sainz bowed out of Ferrari with bittersweet feelings after one final appearance on the podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Spaniard, second to former McLaren teammate Lando Norris with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc third, will be testing with Williams on Tuesday as he starts a new chapter of his career.
"It hasn't been an easy weekend for me, obviously, knowing it was the last one," he told reporters, admitting to hiding his emotions.
"I did the best I could to stay focused and to do the maximum that the car could do today, I think.
"Maybe it was in the helmet. Maybe it was in the 10 minutes prior to a race when I was in the car. Maybe it was the in-lap. Maybe you'll never know," he said of where he really felt emotional.
Sainz leaves after four seasons as a four times race winner, two of them this year, to make way for seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton.
When he joined from McLaren he had two podiums. He leaves Ferrari with 27.
"I knew that was obviously going to be my last race with a group of people that I've enjoyed these last four years. The last time that I would jump in a Ferrari car, probably," he said.
"I tried to remind myself to try and enjoy the race as much as possible and to give the absolute maximum for this team. Jumping out of the car, I already had the bittersweet feeling."
Sainz said he had proven to himself and the world that he could fight for victories and podiums, given the right car, and his target now was to help former champions Williams get back to where they once were.
He recognised however that it might take time to adjust to his new surroundings, even if he was highly motivated by the challenge.
"I'm not going to lie, my last laps, as much as I was pushing like hell for this team... I was already starting to feel things in the car and trying to say 'remember how this feels.
"Because tomorrow and Tuesday I need to remember why is this car quick in this corner and why does it feel good? I know probably what I'm going to find tomorrow and Tuesday needs some margin of improvement in the corners."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
