The Las Vegas Grand Prix noticed—but once more this season—Carlos Sainz racing with out contemplating Ferrari’s greatest pursuits.
Charles Leclerc can not tolerate his dismissive conduct, particularly when the main focus ought to be on the Constructors’ Championship.
Carlos Sainz like Didier Pironi: defying orders
The Spanish driver made headlines on Saturday in Nevada by securing a podium end. Nonetheless, post-race controversies have been removed from absent; in truth, they have been greater than justified given his unacceptable angle.
Through the race, the 29-year-old disobeyed group orders on two events: first, delaying a place swap with a sooner Charles Leclerc by demanding that the group name him into the pits as an alternative of letting him move; then overtaking Charles Leclerc as he exited the pit lane after his last cease, securing a transfer that in the end earned him the rostrum.
To be clear, Ferrari’s group consequence wouldn’t have modified; a 3rd and fourth place was the utmost achievable. Nonetheless, that’s not the purpose. The problem is that Carlos Sainz persistently ignores pre-agreed group methods, as famous by his teammate.
“Not following group orders is comprehensible; in any case, he’s already been let go by Ferrari,” one would possibly argue. But his outright disregard for the group is way from respectable.
Disagree with what you’re being requested? Supply a short rationalization and make sure you’re continuing otherwise—it could definitely earn you extra respect.
Given how a lot delight Carlos claims to have, why undermine Ferrari’s Constructors’ Championship battle? At that stage of the race, the precedence was to maximise the consequence for each drivers to realize as many factors as doable towards McLaren.
To reiterate, in hindsight, Ferrari achieved the absolute best consequence (making the ending order between the 2 irrelevant for the group). Nonetheless, throughout the race, nobody might have identified that.
What’s undeniably vital, although, is Carlos Sainz’s dismissive angle, displaying no dedication to a title that—in the case of “private delight”—ought to matter to him.
What higher solution to depart Maranello than by serving to the group win a championship after 16 years? What higher legacy than to be fondly remembered by the followers? For Carlos Sainz, nevertheless, it appears extra vital to reinforce his private file with a podium than contribute to a Constructors’ title.
Charles Leclerc has had sufficient
On the opposite aspect of the storage, Charles Leclerc is fed up, having at all times prioritized the group’s pursuits. At Silverstone in 2022, regardless of being in rivalry for the Drivers’ Championship (a marketing campaign that ended poorly), he swallowed the inexplicable choice to favor Carlos Sainz’s late-race victory, even after dominating the race with a broken entrance wing. At Singapore in 2023, he intentionally gave Carlos Sainz a security hole to assist him safe Ferrari’s solely win of the season, stating after the race: “What issues is that Ferrari received.”
Now, nevertheless, he finds himself listening to that Sainz was informed to not assault him, solely to see him overtake with ease and with out hesitation.
With solely two Grands Prix left in Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari profession, one factor is evident from his 4 years at Maranello: he has at all times raced for his personal pursuits, displaying little respect for a group working in direction of a shared aim fairly than a slender, unrealistic ambition of being the higher driver.
Sadly for the followers, not everyone seems to be like Villeneuve or Leclerc; some are like Sainz and Pironi. And the primary to acknowledge this could doubtless be Enzo Ferrari himself, who turned his ardour into an impressive actuality and at all times emphasised: “Ferrari first, at all times earlier than the drivers.”
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