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Formula 1 2023: Singapore GP MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT, SINGAPORE – SEPTEMBER 17: press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz with Lando Norris, McLaren Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG during the Singapore GP at Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday September 17, 2023 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Jake Grant / LAT Images) Images) EDITORIAL USE ONLY GP2315_150605_56I6322
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/WhatsApp-Image-2023-09-18-at-11.25.55-AM.jpeg?width=600)
via Imago
Formula 1 2023: Singapore GP MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT, SINGAPORE – SEPTEMBER 17: press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz with Lando Norris, McLaren Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG during the Singapore GP at Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday September 17, 2023 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Jake Grant / LAT Images) Images) EDITORIAL USE ONLY GP2315_150605_56I6322
How can someone surrounded by hundreds of people throughout the year feel lonely? Somehow, today’s fast-paced work environment sets many people to feel the same. F1, the fastest of fast-paced worlds, is no different. A month ago, McLaren ace Lando Norris reflected on his missed childhood. He felt that F1’s constantly traveling circus prevented him from experiencing his “growing-up period.” Going to races and coming back to work on the simulator was all he did. “I never went out. Never partied. And then by the time I was 18, I was almost in Formula 1,” he revealed. However, his former McLaren teammate Carlos Sainz disagrees with this dreary perception.
F1 drivers are the embodiment of the word resilience. From Oscar Piastri leaving his family and country behind at 14 to Zhou Guanyu doing the same at 12, making sacrifices is a part of them. However, Carlos Sainz, who has come into his own in 2024, doesn’t prefer the term ‘sacrifice’. After all, they are racing cars for a living. In an interview with GQ, the Spaniard contradicted his close friend Norris’ view of such ‘sacrifices’.
“To be honest, Hector (interviewer), I don’t see it as a sacrifice. I don’t like the word sacrifice because I see it as something you don’t feel like doing or something you have to stop doing, to sacrifice,” he said. “I see it as a very aggressive word for what we, as drivers or athletes, do. In the end, I see it more as an investment. I have invested in what I am now,” he added, explaining his perception. “I have invested my time and my effort, I have invested in my training, I have gone to training instead of going to parties, I have gone to the simulator instead of staying at home and resting.”
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Elaborating on how cool his profession actually is, Sainz said, “I think I’m lucky and I’ve been lucky to be able to dedicate myself since I was little to what I like the most, to what I find most fun in the world, which is going to races, being with racing people, smelling tires, gasoline. And therefore, nothing I’ve done and invested in until now I’ve seen as a sacrifice, but rather as an investment to be a better athlete and a better driver now,” he concluded.
Polls of the day
Poll 1 of 5
Do you think Carlos Sainz's sacrifices for F1 are worth it?
Absolutely
Not at all
Maybe, but it's tough
Only time will tell
Do you prefer Lewis Hamilton's bold fashion statements or Carlos Sainz's classic style?
Hamilton's boldness
Sainz's classic look
Both have their own charm
Neither, stick to racing
Whats your Perspective on:
Carlos Sainz's sacrifices—are they paying off, or is he still in Lando Norris's shadow?
Have an interesting take?
Do you think Lewis Hamilton's unconventional strategy for trophies is justified?
Yes, he's earned it
No, it's unnecessary
Maybe, depends on the situation
I don't care about trophies
Do you agree with Carlos Sainz's claim that Lewis Hamilton is not better than him?
Absolutely
No way
Maybe
Not sure
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-03-23T070756Z_391269478_UP1EK3N0JT61Z_RTRMADP_3_MOTOR-F1-AUSTRALIA.jpg?width=150&blur=15)
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Australian Grand Prix – Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia – March 23, 2024 Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr.after qualifying second talks to the media REUTERS/Mark Peterson
It is this attitude that has made him a 3-time Grand Prix winner and the top pick in the 2025 driver market. Though he doesn’t feel the way Norris described their life, spending a full year at Ferrari knowing they don’t value him enough is a different kind of lonely.
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Carlos Sainz left with a “strange feeling” in his heart after Lewis Hamilton’s announcement
Witnessing Lewis Hamilton drive for Ferrari was his father, Anthony’s “ultimate dream”. While his family celebrated the contract announcement in February, Carlos Sainz, who was living his dream, got a rude awakening. Ferrari had finally made progress after Frederic Vasseur’s arrival as team boss, bringing a “95%” revamped car into 2024. Unfortunately, the Spaniard couldn’t relish it knowing what awaits him – most probably, a drive with a midfield team in 2025.
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What’s your perspective on:
Carlos Sainz's sacrifices—are they paying off, or is he still in Lando Norris's shadow?
Have an interesting take?
“The truth is that the year started in a complicated way,” the 29-year-old told GQ. “The news and announcement of my non-renewal and Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari already put a strange feeling at the beginning of the year, knowing that it is already going to be my last year at Ferrari.”
All is not lost for Sainz. A direct swap with Hamilton for the Mercedes seat is still an option provided Max Verstappen stays at Red Bull. Earlier, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s top choice was F2 prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli. But the young Italian doesn’t know if he’ll be “ready” for F1 next year. The summer break after the upcoming Belgian GP will be a game-changer. Announcements for the available seats, including Sergio Perez’s under-threat RBR seat, are expected. Hopefully, Sainz gets what he truly deserves – a championship-winning car made by a championship-winning squad.
Debate
Carlos Sainz's sacrifices—are they paying off, or is he still in Lando Norris's shadow?