carlos sainz, lewis hamilton, williams, ferrari — Photo: © IMAGO

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'It's the one thing I HATE': F1 star reveals major frustration with the sport

Williams driver Carlos Sainz has opened up on his recent experience

Kevin McKenna

Wednesday 23 July 2025 12:55

Williams star Carlos Sainz has revealed the main thing he 'hates' about being an F1 driver in 2025.

The Spaniard is one of the grid's most experienced racers, having spent more than a decade performing at the top level in the sport.

Sainz started out alongside Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso, before spells at Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari, where he was replaced by Lewis Hamilton ahead of the current campaign.

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The 30-year-old has previously expressed his disappointment having lost his seat at the Scuderia to the seven-time world champion, and speaking on the High Performance Podcast, admitted that last season's rollercoaster journey showed him how political the sport can be.

"I don't think there's any other sport that is as political as F1," he explained.

"You know, football can be political, but nowhere near as Formula 1. Formula 1 - there's, for some reason, a level of politics that I don't understand. It's the one thing of the sport that I hate."

Carlos Sainz is happy to have found a new home at Williams following his Ferrari exit

Sainz questions driver selection criteria

When asked to provide more clarity, he continued: "What makes sense for a team to have in the two seats might not be the right thing for the team. It makes sense, but it's not the right thing.

"Or there's other things coming behind the driver. Doesn't matter if it's sponsors, money - that makes one a bit more attractive than the other.

"So, it's not purely performance. Performance brings you 80 per cent of the cake, but there's another 20 per cent maybe that it's not only performance and speed.

"Or let's say, if I am equally as quick as some other driver, that 20 per cent is what makes the difference to be chosen over the other driver, and I feel like this is only happening in Formula 1."

Sainz spent several months assessing his options after being told he was to be ditched by Ferrari, and was strongly linked with a move to Mercedes as a replacement to his successor before opting to join Williams.

It has been a challenging start to life with the iconic British outfit, having scored just 13 points in 12 outings to date.

Next up is the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa this weekend at a track on which he has celebrated a podium finish back in 2022.

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