Home/F1

via Imago

via Imago

A slap on the wrist is ought to put one on the right path. Yet, in Ferrari’s case, the slap on the wrist doesn’t affect them too much when you consider that they’ve been taking blows from all directions for more than a year. Elkann recently criticized Ferrari’s management to get things right. However, the tussle between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can put another nail in Ferrari’s coffin as the team struggles to produce a competitive car.

Ferrari’s 2022 woes have followed them into 2023, but in a worse condition, many would say. Despite the Maranello team appointing a new manager whose origin isn’t Italy, Italian culture and politics still seem to be plaguing the team. Lapo Elkann, brother of the Ferarri chairman, has urged the F1 team to go beyond the politics and concentrate on winning. Elkann suggested that with politics and games, one never wins. This came as a slap on Frederic Vasseur and his team’s wrist, who haven’t won a championship in 15 years.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Whilst all this drama is happening, things seem to be getting spicy between the Ferrari drivers. Carlos Sainz has caught up with Charles Leclerc on pace and seems to be challenging the Monegasque as Sainz is 14 points ahead of Leclerc in the driver’s championship. Peter Windsor suggested in his YouTube video that Leclerc was annoyed that Sainz did not give him any tow on his lap in Q3 at Albert Park. Windsor believes it was a political reaction that Leclerc hinted towards Ferrari.

According to Peter Windsor’s YouTube video, he said, “In Q3, Charles was quite annoyed that he didn’t get any sort of tow or help from Carlos Sainz. It would have been only on, I guess, the finishing straight. I don’t think there’s anywhere else in Melbourne you can get any help at all. I thought it was odd that he made that public, that he was upset about that because you’ve got to live in your own world and you’ve got to be very cocooned when you’re at Ferrari.”

Windsor further took a jab at the politics between drivers and at Ferrari and said, “You’ve got your guys and you’ve got to work in a very apolitical way, so it was quite a political reaction I think he had to it all.”

Further suggesting that Leclerc was immature and Windsor said, “To me, even if Charles felt that Carlos was in a position to help him, I think it’s quite naïve of him to think that Carlos would.” “Why would Carlos Sainz help Charles Leclerc any more than Charles would help Carlos really?”

Also, Read: “If We Crash…”: Ex-Ferrari Boss Mattia Binotto Gave Guenther Steiner a Scary Experience in Their Netflix Adventure

With Elkann already putting pressure on Ferrari and the team having to have a meeting back at the factory to discuss the direction to move forward, the unrest between the two drivers comes can become a massive headache for the team. It would be in Ferrari’s best interest to let the drivers race and not get involved in the politics of the No.1 driver. Charles Leclerc recently updated Ferrari’s motivation and aim for the season.

Charles Leclerc expects Ferrari to get back on top

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The Monegasque looks at the month-long break between Australia and Baku as a boon. Charles Leclerc suggested that the team can work during the break to solve the SF23’s weaknesses and to get the upgrades on track quicker. He suggested that it’s going to be a very long season and the team is still motivated to make the car competitive and get back on top.

via Imago

According to Formula1.com, Leclerc said “I think in the situation we are in as a team, we take this as an opportunity to work as much as possible during this break, in order to get upgrades as quickly as possible and be as competitive as we want sooner in this season,” “It’s still a very, very long season. We are fully motivated to get back on top and we’ll try to use these weeks [before Azerbaijan] in the best way possible.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Watch this story: Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz Achieve Rare F1 Feat With Colossal Disney Lightyear Collaboration

Will Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc clash in the future? Will it become a headache for Ferrari?