Constructors' title would be perfect farewell to Ferrari - Sainz

Carlos Sainz said helping Ferrari win the Formula One constructors' title for the first time in 16 years would be a perfect farewell as he prepares to leave after Sunday's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Spaniard is reluctantly making way for seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton at the sport's oldest and most successful team.

Ferrari are 21 points behind Sainz's previous team McLaren, who have not won the title since 1998, in the standings.

"(It) would mean everything to me, honestly. It is, I think, the best way to say goodbye to my home these last four years and to the team that I've given my absolute best to for the last four years," he told reporters at Yas Marina on Thursday.

"I've enjoyed every single moment with them. And to say goodbye with a constructors' title, I think, would be the perfect sign off, the perfect goodbye."

Sainz said the odds were against Ferrari but the task was not impossible.

He said both he and Charles Leclerc would need to be on the podium to do it, probably one-two, and he hoped to sign off with a win.

"Being 21 points behind two of the fastest drivers and one of the fastest teams and recovering those 21 points in one weekend requires perfection from our side and probably not optimal weekend or a bad weekend from their side," he said.

"It's still going to be difficult, but I've seen worse things in racing happen before, and we're going to give it our best shot."

Sainz, a double race winner this season, paid tribute to his Ferrari mechanics.

"One of the biggest things that I'm going to miss in Ferrari is the mechanics. The passion that you see in Ferrari mechanics, no disrespect to any other team in the grid, but it's something unbelievable to see," he said.

"They understand racing. They understand strategy. They follow the race. And you can tell they know exactly what's going on. They want to know what's going on.

"And, yeah, when they go back to Maranello, they are even a bit famous, you know, because they are a Ferrari mechanic. And this only happens in Ferrari."