Did you see Sainz reminisce about his fierce duels with Leclerc while weighing his ex‑teammate’s showdown with Hamilton in Mexico?
The opening lap at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez turned into a scrap as Leclerc dove at Hamilton through the first corners. Their duel climaxed at Turn 4 when Leclerc tried an outside pass, sending both cars off the track.
Leclerc emerged ahead, while Hamilton dropped a spot to Verstappen. A five‑second penalty on the Monegasque handed Red Bull the win.
Hamilton agreed that Leclerc pushes him harder than other rivals, but Sainz dismissed it as a natural by‑product of chasing victory.
“Honestly, I have relatively good memories of my time with Charles and the fights we had,” the Spaniard said in Brazil.
He added, “When you’re fighting for wins, pressure spikes and you become a bit more selfish than when you’re battling for P8 or P9.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24
“So it’s tougher to follow the team’s ideal plan when a win hangs in the balance.”
Hamilton confessed Thursday he was still frustrated by the Mexico incident. Sainz pointed to Monza and Las Vegas as past flashpoints, noting they always talked afterward to settle any dispute.
“There were wins at stake, but I’ve always respected Charles. He respected me. We never collided; we just had intense battles. Think back to Monza, Vegas—so many hot moments,” he said.
Sainz said the real strain came from Ferrari’s pressure, not his rapport with Leclerc, citing abuse from some of the Italian star’s supporters.
“The fan base was polarized then, with hardcore Leclerc fans hurling insults and wishing me ill,” he recalled.
“Italian media also claimed I wasn’t enough of a number two when Charles needed support, and vice‑versa.”
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
“It was the surrounding pressure, not personal issues, that mattered; we always called each other that night and found a way forward.”
Tensions are inevitable when two top drivers chase wins, and that’s just the nature of the sport. For my money, Ferrari’s internal rivalries are as fierce as any on‑track battle.
“Every F1 team with two leading drivers has faced similar frictions,” he said. “You can label one as a number two, or you can accept the inevitable clashes. One cannot exist without the other.”
“Maybe Ferrari amplifies the drama, but history shows it’s happened at Mercedes, McLaren, and even back in 2006‑08,” he noted.
“I can’t recall a team without such issues. Principals know two great drivers will spark conflict, and you can’t fully calm them down for a race.”
Watch: Kimi – Two Years That Changed Everything
Photos from Sao Paulo – Friday
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– The Team