Many fans of Carlos Sainz are not happy that he is being replaced at Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton will be taking the seat next to Charles Leclerc. Although the Tifosi are rejoicing, a sacrifice has been made. With only two seats in each team, it’s obvious that someone had to empty a seat for the 7x world champion, and unfortunately for the Spaniard, he lost the seat.
The news about Sainz’s departure was revealed back in March; however, Charles Leclerc had still not commented on it. Over the years, the Ferrari drivers have raced together, and they have become friends. Seeing a friend leave a team is not an easy thing. That being said, the Monegasque racer finally broke the silence about his teammate being replaced.
Charles Leclerc exposes the truth behind signing deals in Formula 1
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Everyone wanted to know what Leclerc felt about having to say goodbye to Carlos Sainz. The two have spent 3 seasons driving with each other and next year Lewis Hamilton will be taking the seat. It will be a different feeling for Leclerc as he races against Sainz in the same car, which is one thing, but the 7x world champion will be another.
Charles : "Carlos ? D'un point de vue personnel, j'ai été très désolé lorsque j'ai appris la nouvelle, mais d'un autre côté, lorsque vous signez avec une équipe, il y a une date d'expiration [….] et tôt ou tard, elle arrive et vous devez l'accepter." #LaStampa pic.twitter.com/6oFwqtcR6h
— CL16__FanpageFr 🇲🇨 (@Cl16__FanpageFr) June 17, 2024
So when Leclerc was asked his views on Sainz having to leave the team, he replied, “Carlos? From a personal point of view, I was very sorry when I heard the news, but on the other hand, when you signed with a team , there is an expiration date, and sooner or later it comes, and you have to accept it.” There are only 20 spots on the grid, and each seat is extremely valuable. Ferrari saw the chance to bring in one of the most acclaimed drivers of all time into their team, and that is what they did. The last time Ferrari won a championship was in 2007 and now the team is going all out in trying to achieve that again.
This means Sainz had to lose his seat and so will another driver when the Spaniard signs a new contract. F1 is highly competitive and seats are extremely limited with new drivers becoming F2 champions every year. There will always be a winner of a seat and a loser and that’s the reality that Leclerc has put in front of us. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc became friends while driving for Ferrari and their duo will be iconic forever. But will things be the same with Hamilton? Former F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya does not think so and here is what he had to say.
Why does Juan Pablo Montoya think Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will have a personality clash?
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As news about Hamilton moving to Ferrari was announced, everyone wanted to share their two cents on it. This included Montoya, who was the driver whose seat was filled by Lewis Hamilton in McLaren. While speaking to RacingNews365, the former McLaren driver stated, “It will be interesting to see how smooth that goes with Charles and Lewis in the cars, to be honest.”
He further added, “There’s going to be a personality clash there. It’s going to be fun to watch.” While it’s not very clear what he meant by that, it’s probably because of both the drivers being mega-celebrities outside the world of F1. Both Hamilton and Leclerc are personalities that are loved by millions. For many years now, Leclerc has been the face of the Ferrari F1 team and next year, Hamilton will take his place.
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Although Leclerc was never the brand ambassador, he was extremely popular being the only Monegasque driver on the grid. that, he is sponsored by brands like Pichard Mille, Pune, and Ray-Ban, all of which have him as a model for their products because of his popularity. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton is one of the highest-achieving F1 drivers of all time. His 103 race wins only add to the fact that he is a fashion sensation and this might just put Leclerc in the shadow. Ultimately, both of them are going to be driving for the oldest team in the sport, and that comes with a legacy.
In the end, the only thing that matters is which driver scores more points and brings in the win for Ferrari and the Tifosi. Who would you put your money on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.