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Toto Wolff Bashes Frederic Vesseur & Co: “Carlos Deserves It After….. Being Told ‘You Won’t Be Here Anymore’”

Published 03/28/2024, 1:34 PM EDT

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via Imago

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move came as a shock, not only to the people in the paddock but also, to Sebastian Vettel, who couldn’t believe it was real. Toto Wolff is now left with the task of filling the boots of a 7X champion. However, the biggest shock was probably sent Carlos Sainz’s way, who despite giving his everything to the Scuderia the last couple of years, was let go by the team. The Mercedes CEO has now come out to bash Frederic Vasseur and Co’s choices as he hails Sainz’s recent feat. 

Ferrari’s statements during the 2023 season regarding the contract of their current driver gave the feeling that the Scuderia will retain both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc for the foreseeable future. Yet, just days after announcing Leclerc’s new contract, the Italian stable announced Lewis Hamilton as their other driver for the 2025 season, leaving Carlos Sainz without a seat for the next season. 

But Carlos Sainz isn’t one who’ll be let down because of such situations. And the Spaniard is now showcasing what exactly Ferrari lost by not signing him. Sainz has shown incredible pace since the start of the season and despite missing a race because of Appendicitis surgery, he made a strong comeback and won the Australian GP in a thumping manner. All the teams in the paddock are now eyeing to sign the Spaniard. 

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Amidst all this, Toto Wolff, who himself is in a fix finding a replacement for Hamilton took shots at Frederic Vasseur and Co. after Sainz’s amazing win in Australia. According to Motorsport, Toto Wolff said, “Carlos deserves it – after not only the appendix, but also basically being told ‘You won’t be here anymore’. And you! You can see what human force can do when it is necessary.”

Was signing Lewis Hamilton, who is at the end of his career, in place of a feisty-looking Carlos Sainz the right decision by Ferrari? Only time will tell. But Sainz’s future, albeit unknown, looks promising as Charles Leclerc commented. 

Charles Leclerc: Carlos Sainz in talks with many Team Principals 

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Questions around Carlos Sainz’s future in F1 have filled the paddock. Arguably one of the hottest drivers at this moment is without a seat for the next year. Rumors of an Audi, Red Bull, Mercedes, and even Astin Martin move have surfaced in this time. Amid all this, Leclerc was asked at the Australian GP whether Sainz is an underrated driver and the Monegasque answered the question while also giving insight about his teammate’s future.

via Reuters

Charles Leclerc replied, “I think everybody knows Carlos’ worth in the paddock. He’s one of the highest-rated drivers in the paddock. He’s been extremely strong every time he was in a Formula 1 car. And he has shown it multiple times. So I don’t think he’s underrated for that. I think everybody knows Carlos’ worth. And that’s why I’ve said many times that I’m not too worried about his future because I’m sure that many, many team principals are… He doesn’t say it, but for sure they are speaking with him.”

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Where do you think Carlos Sainz will end up? Will he go to Stake which will become Audi in 2026? Or will one of the big teams sign him?

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Written by:

Pranay Bhagi

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Pranay is an F1 Content Analyst and writer at EssentiallySports who effortlessly blends his technical knowledge and passion for F1 in his writing. He has a knack for unique content research and specializes in trend-setting articles. Pranay’s coverage of the departure of Guenther Steiner from Haas received appreciation from readers.
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Edited by:

Shreya Singh