Carlos Sainz compares Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles to Daniel Ricciardo’s early McLaren days

Carlos Sainz says Lewis Hamilton facing the same adaptation issues as Daniel Ricciardo

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Sainz was asked if he takes any pride in seeing Hamilton struggle at Ferrari — a move that forced his own exit.

Sainz, who has switched teams five times in his career, said he can relate to what Hamilton is going through and pointed to Ricciardo’s difficulties when he first joined McLaren in 2021.

“I understand them, because I know how complicated it is,” Sainz said. “Pride? No.

“You understand why it’s so hard, because I’ve had to suffer through changing teams five times, and it’s something that was practically unspoken about before, the adaptation process. Before, everyone expected you to be there by the third race.

“I remember with Ricciardo, when he switched to Renault, and also to McLaren, there was an adaptation process. And so do I, in every team I’ve changed.

“And before, it was as if people didn’t buy into it [the argument] or saw it as a bit of an excuse, and now that a seven-time champion is switching and also struggles, it somewhat confirms what I was telling you five or 10 years ago: that maybe you didn’t buy into it, but now you do.”

Sainz didn’t have the smoothest start with Williams either this season, managing just one point in the opening four races. But he’s since found his rhythm, picking up 11 points over the last five rounds.

Mercedes has been “more chilled” since Lewis Hamilton’s exit

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari hasn’t just changed his own environment — it’s had a knock-on effect across the grid.

Over at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas told the Beyond the Grid podcast that the team feels “more chilled” without Hamilton, whose presence naturally created a lot of pressure, both internally and externally.

Meanwhile, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur is still backing Hamilton to come good, despite a difficult start. He’s aware of the spotlight that comes with having the sport’s biggest name on board, but believes the team can ultimately handle the expectations.