'Sainz makes Ferrari have Hamilton's buyer's remorse'
Guenther Steiner is of the opinion "some people" at Ferrari could be regretting letting go of Carlos Sainz to make room for Lewis Hamilton.
Carlos Sainz, now with Williams, finished third, so it’s like, I guess the guy feeling best about it is Carlos Sainz.- Guenther Steiner
Whereas Sainz has already been able to clinch his first podium finish during his first season at Williams at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton is yet to secure his first appearance on the rostrum in red.
Following yet another strong showing by the Spaniard in Baku, coupled with yet another controversy-marred race for the seven-time world champion and Ferrari due to a team order mishap, Steiner believes the Scuderia may be regretting signing Hamilton and sending Sainz away.
“I think some people in the team do [regret bringing Hamilton in]," the Italian American said. "I think obviously management cannot feel regret because you would be admitting that you did something wrong, and you cannot do that, because I’m sure that some of the guys there are feeling regret , because Ferrari finished eighth and ninth in Baku.
"Carlos Sainz, now with Williams, finished third, so it’s like, I guess the guy feeling best about it is Carlos Sainz.”
Steiner labeled Sainz's performance during his tenure at Ferrari as a "good job," and argued that without the hype that surrounds what he believes to be Hamilton's underperformance, the team's focus could be on the track and not elsewhere, without of course making note of the financial aspect that supposes the difference in wages between both drivers.
“I mean, Carlos was doing a good job," Steiner said. "They wouldn’t have all the interference from outside of Lewis not performing, so the team could focus on going racing, making things better, instead of always trying to find out why Lewis doesn’t like the car.
“Also, the investment money-wise, I’m pretty sure it’s a lot higher with Lewis than with Carlos.”
Ferrari on a slippery slope?
Before the tough outing in Azerbaijan, Ferrari sat in P2 ahead of Mercedes. However, with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli placing P2 and P4 respectively in Baku, the Silver Arrows have overtaken the Scuderia in the Constructors' Standings.
Ferrari's descent could deepen, though, with Red Bull Racing's apparent revival, and with Max Verstappen 'the point machine' as dubbed by Mercedes CEO and Team Principal Toto Wolff, making the fight for P2 in the Constructors' a three-horse race.
GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update
Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.
Popular on GPBlog
Hamilton's five-word advice to Piastri keeps McLaren in check
F1 Today: Hamilton advises Piastri as Russell moves away from Wolff
Schumacher: Russell drops Wolff, Verstappen is the reason
