The Las Vegas night time sparkled with loads of drama throughout the penultimate spherical of the 2024 championship. The sparks from the automobiles on the Strip’s asphalt have been undoubtedly fascinating, however the ones ignited inside Ferrari have been equally intense. These stemmed from an alleged violation of staff orders by Carlos Sainz, which left Charles Leclerc fuming. The tensions have been probably exacerbated by Ferrari’s disappointing weekend: the SF-24 struggled considerably, with poor tire efficiency and low temperatures. In consequence, the staff was outpaced by Mercedes and needed to accept third and fourth locations, although they did handle to scale back their hole to McLaren within the constructors’ standings.
The battle for the rostrum introduced Ferrari’s two drivers into battle. Charles Leclerc, no less than primarily based on the data obtainable, appeared extra compliant with staff orders, whereas Carlos Sainz, it appears, violated an settlement by overtaking Charles, infuriating the Monegasque driver. Workforce radio exchanges have been heated, each on the second pit cease and after the race. Upon pitting for onerous tires, Charles Leclerc returned to the monitor reassured by the staff that “Carlos has been advised to not overtake.” However actuality performed out in a different way: Carlos Sainz, with hotter tires after a pit cease delayed as a result of unprepared mechanics, overtook Charles Leclerc on his out-lap and secured the rostrum. This escalation in rigidity culminated in post-race discussions, though switching their positions wouldn’t have altered the ultimate end result for Ferrari.
The tensions, fueled by particular person ambitions and never new to this pairing, ought to have been anticipated by Ferrari. The staff, nonetheless, additionally bears some duty. It’s not onerous to see why Carlos Sainz would possibly ultimately act in his personal curiosity, significantly after spending the yr because the staff’s lame-duck driver, making method for Lewis Hamilton. Carlos Sainz’s therapy—marked by the farce of a renewal on the finish of 2023, an absence of recognition for years of labor throughout robust instances, and a pressured transfer to Williams—might not have sat properly with the Spaniard. Dealing with the top of his Ferrari journey, Sainz would possibly now be prioritizing his pursuits, even at the price of upsetting his teammate or stirring discontent inside the staff.
This obvious shift in Carlos Sainz’s strategy, or maybe only a sharpening of his regular type, was mentioned by Leo Turrini in his weblog *”Profondo Rosso.”* Leo Turrini touched briefly on the Las Vegas tensions however highlighted an intriguing angle: Ferrari, in its determination to welcome Hamilton, had to decide on between letting go of Carlos Sainz or Charles Leclerc. The selection fell on the Spaniard, reportedly as a result of sure behaviors that didn’t sit properly with the corporate’s management.
“Am I siding with Sainz or Leclerc? […] Each Carlitos and Carletto have causes and faults, as I’ve defined. The staff wasn’t harmed in Nevada. […] It was clear, nonetheless, that one Ferrari driver didn’t assist the opposite. That mentioned, […] I ask those that declare to be staunch Sainz supporters: don’t you marvel why the corporate, when selecting to guess on Hamilton, opted to maintain Leclerc over Sainz? Can’t you see that one thing in regards to the Spaniard’s conduct through the years didn’t sit proper? […] This isn’t about whether or not signing Lewis was the best name. […] However whoever introduced in Hamilton selected to drop Carlos over Charles.”
Whereas these tensions will quickly come to an finish, they increase vital questions on Ferrari’s future and the concord of its 2025 driver lineup. If Leclerc has struggled this a lot with Sainz’s presence, how will he deal with coexisting with Lewis Hamilton, who surpasses him in each metric—from profession achievements to fame, charisma, and expertise?
“If Leclerc has suffered psychologically this a lot with Sainz, […] how will he address sharing the staff with a legend like Lewis Hamilton? That’s the true query. You would possibly assume Lewis isn’t as dominant in qualifying anymore, however then he pulls off a race like Las Vegas…”
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