Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has hinted that Carlos Sainz may one day find his way back to the Maranello-based team.
Sainz, 30, has now vacated his seat to make room for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025, concluding his final race with Ferrari in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with a podium. Reflecting on his farewell, the Spaniard shared that he tried to stay focused during the season finale.
"I'm not going to lie," Sainz admitted. "In those last laps, as much as I was pushing like hell for this team, I was already reminding myself to remember how this feels.
"Because tomorrow and Tuesday, I need to remember why this car is quick in this and that corner and why does it feel good."
Indeed, Sainz will waste no time transitioning to his new role at Williams, with a 'filming day' scheduled on Monday, followed by the post-season test on Tuesday.
"We still have some days in Maranello coming up," Sainz added, "but obviously my competitive mind is already looking forward to Monday and Tuesday and to see how I can make that Williams car faster."
Sainz has previously emphasised the importance of leaving Ferrari on good terms, keeping the possibility of a future reunion alive.
"Honestly, I don't know how serious it is that Ferrari would need me in six, seven, eight years from now," he admitted.
Vasseur, however, was optimistic about the idea of a potential Sainz comeback.
"For the future, the door is certainly open for him," Vasseur told DAZN. "We've already talked about this a couple of times.
"This is a very small world, there are only ten teams and only six or seven top drivers, and you never know what can happen in the future. Of course, both Carlos on his side and me on my side, have to focus on our projects.
"But I don't know what will happen in 2027, 2028, 2029," the Ferrari boss added.
Vasseur admitted to feeling bittersweet as Ferrari narrowly missed out on the constructors' championship to McLaren despite a strong double-podium finish in Abu Dhabi.
"I don't know if I'm proud, but it is true that we improved a lot compared to last year in all areas, and the dynamic is positive, but it's difficult to end like this," Vasseur said.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc addressed recent reports of a strained relationship with Sainz, offering clarification on comments that he says were taken out of context.
"When I said I wouldn't miss Carlos, I only did that because he will be just 20 metres away," Leclerc explained. "I had an incredibly good relationship with Carlos, he is such a good person, and we have a very good relationship."
Leclerc acknowledged the occasional on-track tensions but said they ultimately strengthened their bond.
"It's normal that we had our frictions on the track, but all of these things ultimately strengthened our good relationship and brought us closer together.
"We have a lot in common off the track too, and even though he won't be racing in red next year, I'm very sure that we'll continue to spend time together and travel to the races together," he added.
