Carlos Sainz says he has 'plenty of options' when he leaves Ferrari for Lewis Hamilton

Carlos Sainz Jr. said he has “plenty of options” in Formula 1 when he leaves Ferrari to make way for Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton is joining Ferrari from Mercedes next year in a staggering move. The seven-time champion will partner with Charles Leclerc.

“There’s plenty of options out there” for 2025, Sainz said as Ferrari launched their 2024 car on Tuesday, adding he had some advance notice that Hamilton was taking his Ferrari seat.

Sainz said he plans to take his time before signing for a new team.

“I think it is going to be probably a longer process. I have, ahead of me, probably my most important three or four years of my career, you know, where I want to make sure that I am in the right place at the right time,” Sainz said. “I want to make sure I pick the right next destination for me. So I’m going to take my time to think about it, to have a look at all the options. Then I can just feel confident, when I take the decision, I’ve given myself enough time and enough information.”

This is going to be Sainz’s fourth and final season with Ferrari, where he took his first F1 win at Silverstone in 2022 and was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race last season with win in Singapore.

“I have very, very, very good memories in this team,” Sainz said. “My first-ever lap in a Ferrari around Fiorano (test track) is one of the most emotional moments of my career.”