Lewis Hamilton out? Ferrari chief 'meets Carlos Sainz's manager' in Qatar

Ferrari F1’s deputy team principal Jerome D’Ambrosio was spotted in a 'meeting' with Carlos Sainz’s manager Carlos Onoro.

One user on X shared a picture from the paddock at the Qatar GP, where D’Ambrosio sat outside Ferrari's hospitality unit as Onoro joined him at the table.

D’Ambrosio followed Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes to Ferrari – after working at the team during the 2023 and 2024 seasons – and took on the role of deputy team principal and head of the Ferrari driver academy in October 2024.

Onoro, who is also Sainz’s cousin and the son of Carlos Sainz Sr’s sister, is responsible for just about everything off track in the Williams driver’s life from personal finances to contracts.

Sainz himself raced with Ferrari from 2021 until the end of last year, when it was announced Hamilton would be replacing the Spaniard at the team.

Since joining Ferrari however, Hamilton has endured a nightmare campaign and has failed to claim a single podium, with Sainz instead claiming his first podium finish with Williams, notably before the champion, at the 2025 Azerbaijan GP.

Would Sainz return to Ferrari?

The meeting between D’Ambrosio and Onoro could have been a simple chat and a catch up, with their time at Ferrari overlapping by a couple of months; but with Hamilton’s disappointing results at the team you can see why some fans have put two-and-two together and got five.

Sainz is the last driver to have won a grand prix with Ferrari, victorious at the 2024 Mexican GP and the so-called ‘Sainz effect’ has been celebrated since joining Williams.

Naturally as a manager, Onoro will be keeping his ear to the ground about any available opportunities for his driver, regardless of whether they intend to take them or not, but Ferrari have made no noise about replacing Hamilton.

Sainz himself has confirmed his commitment to Williams when talking to the press, and previously stated that he sees the team as his ‘life project’.

Yet, in a recent interview with Motorsport.com’s German publication, he was asked whether he would return to Ferrari if they asked him back, to which he responded: "Yes. In the distant future."

Some F1 pundits have also tipped Sainz to return to Ferrari, but given the Prancing Horse’s recent performances – Hamilton and Leclerc both failed to score a point in the Qatar GP sprint race – the Spaniard would be much wiser sticking with Williams currently, as they build into a race winning team.

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