Sainz on Hamilton: 'He was really struggling'

Carlos Sainz will begin his second year at Ferrari next season. In the past, he experienced Max Verstappen as a teammate up close, making the Dutchman's world title special. At the same time, he felt sorry for Lewis Hamilton.

He started his Formula One adventure in 2015 at Toro Rosso where he teamed up with Verstappen. Both talented drivers had their disagreements at times, but in general, they also had respect for each other. Sainz still has that respect, as evidenced by the Spaniard's words in conversation with Corriere.it.

Sainz, however, sympathized with Hamilton on the podium in Abu Dhabi. The Briton seemed to be on his way to the world title during the last race of the season, but nothing was further from the truth. In the last lap, Verstappen managed to overtake his competitor and thus secure the world championship.

The Ferrari driver can well imagine Hamilton's disappointment. "Losing the title in the last lap, that's hard to accept," he let us know. "I respect him more than before for the way he managed it. We had a few words on the podium, he was really struggling."