Carlos Sainz drove for McLaren in the 2019 and 2020 Formula 1 seasons before leaving for Ferrari, where he remained until the end of 2024, when he was replaced by Lewis Hamilton and went on to join Williams.
While Sainz won races and stood on podiums with Ferrari, McLaren have gone on to become Champions, winning two consecutive Constructors’ Titles in 2024 and 2025, while Lando Norris won the 2025 Drivers’ Crown.
Sainz, on the other hand, finds himself in a dire situation with Williams at the start of the 2026 season despite managing two podiums with them last year.
The Spaniard was asked whether he regretted leaving McLaren, which in turn may have cost him a chance to fight for a maiden F1 Title.
“No,” he responded. “And I tell you, why not? Because first of all, in 2021, in Ferrari, I achieved my first podiums of my career.
“In 2022, I won my first races, and in 2023, while I was still winning races in Ferrari, McLaren were still almost dead last in the Qualifying of Bahrain. I would have thought back then, ‘I would be winning races with Ferrari’,” he explained.
It would’ve been hard for Sainz to stay with McLaren when Ferrari came calling to replace Sebastian Vettel.
“I think it [leaving McLaren] was the right thing to do at the right time,” Sainz reflected. “And the only thing I feel is happiness for the team. I feel honestly happy for them. I don’t feel any regrets.
“Lando has been always quick since the day he became an F1 driver,” he added of his former teammate. “I think he’s just become a bit more of an all-rounder through the last six years.
“He’s become more championship material. And then he confirmed it in 2025 with a very strong second part of the season,” the Williams driver concluded. (Source: Beyond the Grid)