Carlos Sainz faced criticism for his funny remarks about Charles Leclerc before the Brazil GP.
Fans have been talking about Carlos Sainz’s recent comments about Charles Leclerc ahead of this weekend’s Sao Paulo GP in Brazil. The Williams driver was asked about his time with Leclerc at Ferrari, especially after Leclerc’s falling-out with Lewis Hamilton.
There’s been a lot of tension between Hamilton and Leclerc after some incidents in recent races. But Sainz said the two “never clashed,” which some fans found hard to believe.
Hamilton and Leclerc have been exchanging words in the press after their clash in Mexico cost Ferrari a sure 1-2 finish. Other drivers were asked what they thought, and Sainz shared his experience as Leclerc’s teammate.
He tried to be diplomatic but admitted it wasn’t always easy. “You don’t want to hurt the team, but you want to win,” he said. “Back then, wins were possible, so it was tough to always follow the team plan. But I think we always respected each other, even if we had some intense battles like in Monza or Las Vegas.”
Many fans pointed out that Sainz and Leclerc did have their fair share of clashes at Ferrari. Leclerc was seen as the team’s number one, but Sainz wasn’t always willing to back down, which sometimes caused awkward moments.
For example, during the 2022 Austrian Sprint, Sainz and Leclerc fought hard over second and third place while Max Verstappen led. Afterward, Leclerc said they “couldn’t afford” to lose time fighting each other.
At the 2022 British GP, Ferrari asked Sainz to let Leclerc pass late in the race, but Sainz wasn’t happy and pushed hard to win instead. In the 2023 Italian GP, they had another tough fight for second place, with both pushing the limits despite team orders to avoid risks.
Even at the 2024 Las Vegas GP, they argued over who should be ahead near the end, with Leclerc feeling he deserved priority after helping Sainz earlier. Sainz, on the other hand, said he prefers to handle things privately rather than on the radio or in the media.
Overall, while Sainz talks about respect and intense battles, many fans remember the rivalry and tension between the two Ferrari drivers during their time together.