Carlos Sainz warns Lewis Hamilton ‘not everything roses and perfect’ at Ferrari

Carlos Sainz has warned Lewis Hamilton not to expect everything to be “roses and perfect” at Ferrari ahead of his debut F1 campaign with the Scuderia.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton has completed a blockbuster switch from Mercedes to join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari for the upcoming season in one of the most hyped and biggest driver transfers in F1 history.

Sainz, who has joined Williams after making way for Hamilton’s arrival, insists that life at Ferrari can be “tough” despite it being the dream of every F1 driver.

“We can sit here and obviously do a different podcast one time, and I can maybe explain to you what is tough about being a Ferrari driver, but I don’t want this interview to be that,” the departing Sainz told the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast.

“Sometimes it’s tough, there’s things about being a Ferrari driver that is also tough. And I’m not going to lie, not everything is roses and perfect.”

But Sainz said Hamilton can expect to have “a very special experience” once he joins F1’s most famous team.

“However, I’m going to focus on the positives, which is every Grand Prix is a kind of a home Grand Prix. It’s a very special experience,” the Spaniard added.

“It’s something that even if I sit here and I try to explain it to you, I don’t think I can. I’m not very good at explaining myself or explaining my feelings and but I can tell you, it’s something very different to anything that I felt before, and I’ve enjoyed every single moment of it.

“It is very special knowing that everyone in the grandstand is kind of a Ferrari fan and wishes well for Ferrari.”

Hamilton’s first Ferrari movements emerge

Hamilton is set to visit Ferrari’s F1 headquarters at Maranello next week as he begins his assimilation with the team.

The 40-year-old Briton is set to conduct his first simulator session on Monday 20 January, before making his on-track debut for the team in an F1 car that is at least two years old later in the week at their Fiorano test track.

Ferrari are planning an extensive test programme to help Hamilton to get up to speed quicker ahead of the new season and will use up a chunk of their allocated Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) time to do so.

Ferrari have booked the Barcelona circuit for at least four days at the end of the month to provide Hamilton with additional time in their older F1 machinery.

Hamilton will make his first public appearance as a Ferrari driver alongside new teammate Leclerc at F1’s special season launch event at London’s O2 Arena on 18 February.

The following day, Ferrari will officially launch their 2025 challenger in Maranello.

Ferrari are expected to use one of their permitted ‘filming days’ to conduct a shakedown of their new F1 car at Fiorano after their launch on 19 February. This will be the first time Hamilton and Leclerc drive the 2025 car.

Both Hamilton and Leclerc will be in official action for Ferrari at pre-season testing in Bahrain from 26-28 February, before the 2025 campaign kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix on 16 March - marking Hamilton’s Ferrari race debut.