ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Carlos Sainz admitted his final appearance with Ferrari was "strange," saying the emotions got to him on at least one occasion before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Sainz is the driver making way for Lewis Hamilton's blockbuster move to Ferrari in 2025.
The Spaniard signed off with second position at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but it was not enough to help Ferrari to the constructors' title.
"Strange. A bit emotional, I'm not going to lie," Sainz said of his final race in red. "Probably, I would say it was more emotional the last time that I jumped in the car, on the grid. I knew that was obviously going to be my last race with a group of people that I've enjoyed these last four years. The last time that I would jump in a Ferrari car, probably, and I was just feeling emotional.
"I tried to remind myself to try and enjoy the race as much as possible and to give the absolute maximum for this team. Jumping out of the car, I already had the bittersweet feeling."
Sainz hinted that there was at least one moment this year where the emotions bubbled over, although said they were not in the public eye.
When asked why he was putting such a brave face on and not letting the tears flow, Sainz joked that he had learned lessons from actor Brad Pitt, who was completing filming of the F1 movie over the weekend.
Asked how he was keeping the tears back, Sainz said: "Maybe I already have and you just don't know! And you haven't seen it. Maybe it was in the helmet. Maybe it was in the in the 10 minutes prior to a race when I was in the car. Maybe it was in the in-lap.
"Yeah. Maybe you'll never know. I can just tell you that I did get emotional at some point today. I'm not going to tell you exactly when or how. It's a feeling that I save to myself and for my team. And yeah, maybe it's all a bit of acting, and I'm acting like I'm not emotional at all. I've learned from Brad Pitt who is here this weekend!
"I tell you, I've been emotional. It's just up until today, there was too much of a job to do and too much of a thing to fight for. So your brain doesn't allow you to get emotional because you care more about winning and giving the team a constructors' championship than your emotions itself. Let's say, your competitiveness takes over. But today there were moments that I got emotional and luckily you guys didn't get to see it."
Sainz is staying in Abu Dhabi for another two days to test for his new team.
He will undertake a filming day with Williams at the circuit on Monday, before jumping in the car for the post-season test day for the British outfit on Tuesday, which all 10 teams are taking part in.
He said his attention had already started to drift to those appearances in the dying laps of the race.
"I'm not going to lie, my last laps, as much as I was pushing like hell for this team, I was already starting to feel things in the car and trying to say, 'remember how this feels. because tomorrow and Tuesday I need to remember why is this car quick in this corner and why does it feel good!' Because I know probably what I'm going to find tomorrow and Tuesday needs some margin of improvement in the corners that I was feeling the car.
"So this just sums up that I'm already looking also ahead. I'm extremely motivated for the challenge that I have ahead of me. Today is a day to try and enjoy as much as possible with the team as my last day in red. We still have some days in Maranello coming up, but obviously my competitive mind is already looking forward to Monday and Tuesday and to see how I can make that Williams car faster."