Charles Leclerc – F1 Driver for Ferrari. Ferrari – F1 Racing Team – Leclerc, Hamilton.
Who does Hamilton replace in Ferrari?
During the off-season, Ferrari replaced Carlos Sainz with Lewis Hamilton. From the moment he joined, it was clear Ferrari saw Charles Leclerc as their “project boy. Sainz, though talented and humble, was often forced to step aside — literally. He couldn’t pressurize his team like how Max Verstappen or Oscar Piastri or many others would do.Until the last few years, after all, he was renowned for his adaptability. Hamilton’s specific problem with the Ferrari this year is that he is lacking confidence in the rear during braking and corner entry.Ferrari have long admired Sainz, son of two-time world rally champion Carlos Sr. The same can be said for a handful of other drivers on the grid, but with the Spaniard, they felt he was the right package that could slot into their team.
Is Ferrari regretting signing Hamilton?
There are “some people” within Ferrari who “regret” replacing Carlos Sainz with Lewis Hamilton, especially as the latter has brought “unrest” to the team, whereas Sainz has calmly gone about his business at Williams. Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) both earn $10 million in 2025. Sainz proved his consistency during his years at Ferrari before joining Williams, while Gasly continues to deliver strong, dependable performances. Their salaries reflect their roles as seasoned drivers in evolving teams.July 2024 – Carlos Sainz Jr signed 2-year (2025/26) contract with Williams F1 team with base salary of $10 million (gross) per year. He can also accumulate upto $5 million in performance related bonuses taking his potential yearly earning from F1 contract to around $15 million.In 2021, Sainz replaced four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari. With the Italian squad, he agreed to a two-year deal that was reportedly worth $8 million annually. He extended his agreement with Ferrari in April 2022, extending it through the end of 2024, with an increase in pay to $12 million annually.
Why is Ferrari not winning F1 anymore?
The biggest reason Ferrari fails as much is because they still conform to a certain nationalistic fervour that has always plagued the team. In a cut-throat sport like F1, this is not a healthy practise to sustain. The last time their efforts were successful was under a multi-national management setup. Ferrari now ‘the fourth force’ in F1 Despite this, they have struggled with ride height, which has cost them performance across the campaign. Giancarlo Minardi explained that Ferrari are now the fourth-best team in Formula 1 amid a frustrating season.