Charles Leclerc was livid on the finish of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, making his emotions clear over the radio to engineer Bryan Bozzi after Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz ignored orders not to attack him.
Having appeared on target to overcut Sainz throughout the remaining spherical of stops, Leclerc was handed by the Spaniard who duly secured one other podium earlier than he leaves the Italian squad on the finish of 2024.
However was Sainz proper to disregard the crew, or will he remorse the choice? Our writers have their say.
Sainz is inside his rights to indicate Ferrari what it will be lacking – Alex Kalinauckas
Bear in mind simply how savagely Sainz fought Leclerc again within the China dash race? Or the elongated related battle in the identical setting at Austin? Nicely, his ruthlessness in opposition to his team-mate burst onto the GP stage in Vegas and, given it meant Leclerc obtained trapped for too lengthy behind Max Verstappen, gained him a twenty sixth F1 profession podium.
In heading to Williams subsequent yr, Sainz has chosen the higher short-term possibility in competitiveness phrases over Sauber/Audi. However a Williams driver has not stood on an F1 podium since Belgium 2021 (though, in actuality, Baku 2017).
He simply cannot know when he’ll attain the podium in F1 once more given his upcoming step down the grid, even when he and new team-mate Alex Albon hope Williams can proceed on its upward trajectory below crew boss James Vowles.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures
That alone justifies his resolution to disregard Ferrari’s directions to not assault Leclerc as the opposite SF-24 emerged from its second cease within the Vegas night time. That enraged Leclerc, round some glorious “Possibly strive in Spanish” sarcasm. Though solely the order for Sainz to swap positions – which he delayed doing – forward of their first providers was performed out on the world feed.
It isn’t laborious to learn a certain quantity of frustration in Sainz’s driving in opposition to Leclerc at instances this yr.
Ferrari picked the Monegasque as its long-term star even earlier than signing Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes when Sainz had proven so properly in opposition to such a quick and highly-rated driver. He’s often the higher of the pair when understeer comes into play – such because it did in Mexico and differently with the cool floor temperatures in Vegas.
And till Leclerc obtained his act collectively on the hards within the Vegas race, Sainz had led the way in which for Ferrari – bar his slight over-doing it on the first nook and sliding deep, opening the door for his team-mate. Maybe he thought he was restoring the occasion’s pure order by ignoring the crew selection.
It comes with a danger that he may not be thought of again at Ferrari within the coming years, one thing Sainz has been overtly saying he’d need if the prospect arrives.
However, given how issues can change in short-term consideration on the Scuderia, as proved by its historical past with administration and driver modifications, Sainz brutally taking such an strategy himself in 2024 may not even matter.
Sainz will probably be hoping he isn’t burning bridges – Oleg Karpov
All issues thought of, I feel Sainz has dealt with this yr extremely properly. And he is had so much to course of – not solely the realisation that he is going to get replaced by one other driver but in addition the truth that different prime groups – with vacancies too – weren’t dashing to signal him.
However he has delivered on observe and hasn’t actually dropped a single dangerous phrase within the media in regards to the uncomfortable state of affairs Ferrari has put him in. And I all the time felt that leaving the door open was one of the simplest ways ahead for the Spaniard.
Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, third place, on the rostrum
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures
As a result of what this yr has proven is that Ferrari might be nonetheless one of the best probability for him to get again right into a successful automobile sooner or later. By behaving professionally and speaking accurately with the skin world, he has solely elevated his possibilities of a comeback on a day when Lewis Hamilton decides to retire.
It is nonetheless a great distance off and the world will probably be a really totally different place in a number of years’ time, however Sainz’s childhood hero and good buddy Fernando Alonso may very well be an excellent instance of why it is necessary to not burn bridges.
We do not actually know what occurred in Vegas (and a few of it’ll in all probability keep in Vegas without end), and it is laborious to debate with out understanding the small print of the pre-race discussions. But when Sainz did handle to upset the crew (he definitely did annoy his team-mate by the appears of it) for the sake of getting one other podium, it is in all probability truthful to ask whether or not it was price it.
Sure, it might have been one of many final such alternatives for Sainz, however did not he simply make his future somewhat harder?
Mercedes and Purple Bull had the right alternative to grab Sainz this yr. The previous had a emptiness, the latter nonetheless cannot fairly work out what to do with Sergio Perez – and but Sainz, a free agent, hasn’t turned out to be as enticing an possibility as you’d assume. And there isn’t any indication that their angle in the direction of Sainz will change sooner or later.
There are these within the paddock who consider that it was an inside battle with Verstappen and his clan throughout their Toro Rosso spell that finally prevented Sainz from making a comeback to the Purple Bull household – and it isn’t too tough to consider that was one of many components…
It appears like Leclerc will probably be with Ferrari for a number of years longer than Hamilton. It in all probability will not be him who decides who his subsequent team-mate will probably be – however will Sainz nonetheless be on Ferrari’s checklist if there is a bittersweet feeling left after this yr?
