Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz: a rivalry with mutual benefits
11/17/2024 07:31 AM
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari duo that will soon be dissolved at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 championship. After three more races with the Prancing Horse, the the two drivers will say their goodbyes (or maybe see you later) after four years of collaboration and working together for the Maranello team. During these four Formula 1 seasons, the Spanish driver has enriched his career with his first victories and several pole positions in his decade-long F1 career, which began alongside Max Verstappen back in 2015. It is a widely shared opinion in the paddock that Ferrari had the best line-up, thanks to the complementary qualities of the two drivers from Maranello.
Since his arrival at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz has gained appreciation for his methodical approach to understanding the car, something that has been particularly evident during race weekends, where Charles Leclerc has often been quick right from the start, while the future Williams driver has gradually built up his feel for the car throughout the race weekend. The son of the two-time rally world champion leaves the historic Maranello team with much more certainty than when he first joined the team founded by Enzo Ferrari To say otherwise would be unfair considering the growth curve shown by the Spaniard.
In addition to his proverbial consistency, Carlos Sainz has added the ability to win and to be much faster in terms of qualifying pace, thanks to the rivalry with Charles Leclerc, who remains the benchmark in the category in terms of outright pace. The opportunity to fight for the world title was missing, this is true, and it represents the final step in a career that has not at all diminished in ambition for the Spanish driver. However, his next professional challenge with Williams, at least on paper, will most likely not allow the Spanish driver to fight for more ambitious goals than those already achieved at Scuderia Ferrari.
The natural rivalry between the two teammates has not been detrimental to the Italian team. There have been a few moments of tension at times, but the competition has helped raise the bar of performance. Charles Leclerc has certainly not had an easy time in these four years, and this factor has helped him, and quite significantly, in trying to address areas of weakness, making him a more complete driver. The numbers show that the Monegasque driver has excelled in their internal comparison, based on the key indicators considered: wins, pole positions, points, and so on.
Nevertheless, the respect for Carlos Sainz has increased exponentially, and only particular market dynamics have prevented him from being hired by another top team. His move to Williams is considered a real downgrade in the Spanish driver’s professional journey; however, his time with the Grove team could also be a very brief chapter in his career. Without a doubt, the rivalry with Charles Leclerc can be considered a win-win collaboration, as they say, with no winners or losers.
Both have become better drivers compared to 2021, thanks to the strong internal rivalry. The Monegasque quickly realized that on the other side of the “ring” there was neither a sparring partner nor a mentor hired to help promote the rise of the driver around whom the Prancing Horse intended to build its future successes. This balance has remained constant, both under the leadership of former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto and with the arrival of Frédéric Vasseur at the helm of the Ferrari Racing Department, which many considered a choice that would automatically secure the role of number one driver for Charles Leclerc.
However, even the French manager appreciated the qualities of the Spanish champion: consistency, hard work, professionalism, and speed. With these “pillars,” the 30-year-old driver gained the respect of the entire Maranello team. Most likely, Carlos Sainz would still be a Ferrari driver if it had not been for one of those rare opportunities in sports history: the chance to unite the destinies of two legends. Only the arrival of Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen could have changed the plans, which seemed to be set in stone for a long time.
We say this because the main parties involved have not ruled out the possibility of this current partnership being recreated in the future. For Charles Leclerc, these four years have been quite challenging, thanks in part to Carlos Sainz. The Monegasque has benefited from the rivalry with one of the most analytical and methodical drivers, qualities that have often allowed the Spaniard to compensate for his Maranello teammate's slightly superior pure speed. The partnership has worked wonderfully, fostering the growth of the Italian side and the individual development of the drivers at the wheel of the Ferrari cars.
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