Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton. Photo: Race Pictures.

Sainz drops truth on Hamilton: ‘He was my idol then’

21:26, 27 Sep

Updated: 21:33, 27 Sep

1 Comments

bySamson Ero

Carlos Sainz explained that seven-time Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton champion was once his idol when he was younger.

“He used to be one of my idols.”

- Carlos Sainz

Speaking on the BBC Radio All Day Breakfast show, Sainz, who recorded a stunning podium finish for Williams Racing at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, stressed how Hamilton would be one of his idols. The Spanish driver also recounted a few of his earliest memories of the Ferrari driver following his entry into F1.

“For me, honestly, it’s because he’s my competitor, but if I were not in F1, he would be one of my idols.

“When I was 10 years old is when he arrived in Formula 1 and he became world champion in 2008. I was 12 years old, and that’s when I started watching Formula 1, when he was racing Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and everyone.”

Carlos Sainz celebrates his first podium with Williams at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Photo: RacePictures

“He used to be one of my idols and one of the people that I looked up to, but now he’s one of my competitors, 10, 15 years later.’’

Like Sainz, several other drivers on the F1 grid have, on occasion, spoken highly of Hamilton. Haas rookie Ollie Bearman recently highlighted how the Ferrari driver largely aided his settling into Formula 1. The young British driver also labelled his compatriot one of the nicest individuals within the F1 paddock.

Carlos Sainz on recording a podium ahead of Hamilton

Carlos Sainz was previously asked about achieving a podium finish before Lewis Hamilton did through the 2025 campaign. The 31-year-old finished third during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Sainz, who was quizzed about it, particularly considering Hamilton replaced him at the Ferrari outfit ahead of the commencement of the season, largely stressed how he was uninterested in such conversations. The four-time Grand Prix winner also opted to focus on the bigger picture at the Williams Racing team.

Sainz’s whose podium in Baku brought to an end a four-year wait for the Grove-based outfit podium finish, will now shift his focus to the Singapore Grand Prix, a race he won back in 2023.

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