Carlos Sainz has confirmed that he will be leaving Ferrari at the end of 2024 to make way for Lewis Hamilton.

While the Briton's move to Maranello comes as something of a bombshell, when Ferrari announced an extension to Charles Leclerc's contract without mentioning his Spanish teammate it was clear that something was in the air.

Adding to the speculation was the announcement of a partnership with Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, the Italian beer brand, whereas the team had previously been sponsored by Spain's Estrella Galicia 0.0, which has long had ties to Sainz.

Indeed, a visit to the Peroni website's 'partnerships' page as early as Tuesday gave a heavy clue to the news that was to shock the sport to its foundations two days later.

In the wake of Ferrari's confirmation of the move, Sainz took to social media.

"Following today's news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024," he wrote.

"We still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world."

In 2021, his first season as teammate to Charles Leclerc, the Spaniard finished fifth in the standing, ahead of the Monegasque, while the following season it was Leclerc who had the advantage.

Last season, Leclerc once again had the edge, but it was Sainz who scored the Scuderia's sole victory, indeed the only race not won by Red Bull over the course of the season.

Formerly with Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren, Sainz has been linked with Audi when it enters the sport in 2026, but this raises the question of where he would go in 2025, Stake F1 (Sauber) not looking likely to be the most competitive of berths.