Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have never fought each other for the world title in F1, but if they did the Spaniard thinks it would be a close fight between the pair.
Unfortunately, Ferrari’s hopes of fielding a championship winning car this season failed to materialize.
From the outset, the Scuderia was outpaced – like its rivals – by Red Bull’s commanding RB19, with no means to fight back, let alone catch up with the bulls’ supreme machine.
However, Ferrari’s development work has brought the team in contention for the runner-up spot in the championship, a position currently held by Mercedes with a 28-point advantage over the Italian outfit.
In the Drivers’ standings, Sainz has so far outscored Leclerc, but only a mere 8 points separate the two drivers.
Last year, Leclerc had a fairly comfortable upper hand over his teammate. But Sainz has gradually raised his game in terms of both absolute speed and in race management as his pole position and subsequent win in Singapore emphatically demonstrated.
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Last month’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza where the pair went wheel-to-wheel in the closing stages of the race, with Sainz coming out on top, offered a sneak peak of sorts at the close contest the two drivers would enjoy if they were battling for the biggest prize of all, the world title.
“Charles and I often find ourselves close,” commented Sainz during the recent Festival dello Sport.
“We haven’t fought for the title, but for a third place in Monza or a pole, yes, and it wouldn’t be much different for a championship.
“We had three years to train and get to know each other, and we know the respect between us.”
“We all push in the same direction. We have always believed we could win, and we never gave up. It’s this drive that makes me say Ferrari is in the right place to win.”
So far, Sainz and Leclerc have enjoyed a productive working relationship at the track and a good rapport off it.
“We often do events and interviews together, and we laugh a lot,” he said; “There is certainly a good relationship.
“When we can, we also call Lando [Norris] and other drivers to play golf.”
Sainz and Leclerc are contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2024. Both drivers expect to engage in discussions with their team about their long-term future by the end of the year, or immediately after.
For now, it seems that Scuderia boss Fred Vasseur is keen on keeping his line-up unchanged beyond 2024, a year ahead of F1
“I trust them a lot,” said the Frenchman, whose sole mission is to provide his drivers with a championship winning car. “I see them as honest and committed to the team.
“The important thing is to build the future together. Drivers are part of the performance.
“We have two excellent, great, and competitive drivers. We have discussed it, and they are professionals. They know where the limits are, but they have done a fantastic job so far.”
Vasseur readily acknowledged Sainz’s step forward this season.
“You can see that Carlos is a part of this environment,” he added. “He’s tenacious, and we see it in every lap he takes.
“This year, he worked hard on some things that slowed him down, and he changed his approach after Monza. In sports, talent is not enough. You need to keep improving, and Carlos has this mentality.”
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