Leclerc says ‘all good’ with Sainz after Vegas tensions

Charles Leclerc says he and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz have resolved tensions following a controversial moment during last weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The incident, which saw Leclerc fuming on team radio during his cool-down lap, sparked questions about Ferrari's internal harmony as the team fights to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Ferrari implemented team orders that favoured Leclerc, with the pair’s positions ordered to be frozen in the wake of their second and final pitstop only for Sainz to overtake the Monegasque and seize the final spot on the podium.

Leclerc didn’t hold back his grievances over the radio after the checkered flag, exclaiming, “I did my job, but being nice fucks me over every time”.

In Lusail on Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s penultimate round of the F1 world championship, Leclerc addressed the situation, choosing not to delve into specifics but emphasizing that the issue has been resolved and that whatever happened in Vegas has stayed in Vegas.

“I don’t want to go back to what happened in Vegas,” he said. “In the last two races of the season we need to do absolutely everything in order to get that constructors’ championship. That’s all that matters.”

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The Monegasque driver assured fans and critics alike that he and Sainz had worked through the disagreement.

“Whatever happened in Vegas we discussed it and we are all good which is the most important thing.

“I have no doubts about that because we’ve always had a really good relationship with Carlos and we’ve had races where sometimes things don’t go exactly the way we want but the most important thing is that we discuss about it and we go forward.

“It’s very clear for both of us that we just want to win the constructors’ and it’s by working as a team that we’ll achieve that and I’m sure that there won’t be any problems with it.”

Leclerc and Sainz, who are nearing the end of their fourth and final season as teammates before Sainz’s departure to make way for Lewis Hamilton, have had a complex but largely respectful relationship.

Leclerc acknowledged the natural ups and downs of their partnership while highlighting their ability to resolve conflicts.

"[I] have a really good relationship with Carlos. Sometimes I have overstepped the lines and sometimes he did, and then it only requires discussion between us two,” he explained.

“We look ourselves in the eye, and we’ve known each other for a very long time now, and we understand each other very, very quickly. So I have no doubts."

As Ferrari battles this weekend to further bridge its 24-point gap to McLaren in the Constructors’ standings, Leclerc suggested that moments of tension, while unpleasant, could be beneficial for resetting and refocusing the team’s priorities.

"Sometimes we need these kinds of things to reset a little bit, and I have no doubts that going into the last two races of the season there won’t be any problems or whatsoever”, he said.

“Because, at the end, it’s [a] benefit for both of us to try and win the Constructors’. We know that an opportunity like that doesn’t happen very often, and we’ve got to do absolutely everything on both of our sides in order to try and win that.”

Ferrari now heads into the final two races of the 2024 season presenting a united front, with Leclerc and Sainz both committed to the team’s collective goal.

Whether the Scuderia can convert this determination into results remains to be seen, but for now, any lingering animosity appears to have been put to rest.

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