Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz as No.1? Ex-Ferrari Icon Sees Only One Solution to Bring the Championship Back to Maranello

Ferrari is in a huge mess. The chaos at the Maranello-based outfit never ceases to end. Mattia Binotto announced his departure from the Italian team last week. So they are now on a hunt to replace him. Moreover, after Charles Leclerc finished P2 in the driver’s championship, Ferrari would be looking to challenge Red Bull and Max Verstappen for the title next season.

It has been 15 years since Kimi Raikkonen last won a championship for Ferrari in Formula 1 in 2007. The Italian team has longed for a championship-winning driver since then. However, Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 champion, who also drove for Ferrari in 1971, ’72, and ’82, believes that the Maranello team has two of the best drivers on the grid.

“Ferrari has two drivers who are both capable of winning, and this is something wonderful,” said Andretti, talking to Gazzetta Dello Sport. [Translated from Google]

He further added, “And up to a certain point in the season it is right that I leave them both free to run. When it becomes clear who is in contention for the title, then the other can run in his service. But at the beginning, they must be absolutely free.”

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Leclerc enjoyed a bittersweet season as the Monegasque finished P2. Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, finished P5 in the WDC. Meanwhile, Ferrari racked up 4 wins this season.

Charles Leclerc explains how he beat his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz

Last year, the Spaniard beat Leclerc in the WDC despite it being his debut year for the Reds, But now, the Monegasque has turned the tables by beating Sainz this season by 62 points. Leclerc also won 3 races this year as compared to Sainz’s maiden win this season. Now, Charles had explained how he managed to outclass his teammate this year.

Leclerc told Auto, Motor, and Sport, “I changed a few things. The way I work. How I discipline myself at home. That was a bit of freestyle last year. Whenever I was at home, I did a thousand things.” [Translated from Google]

He further added, “It’s also possible that this car suits me better. We had a great winter test. We tried a lot of things there. We put a lot of focus on how I can drive the car. That helped that I started the season on a high level. I could focus on the details.”

Leclerc led the championship by 40+ points after the first few races of the season. He had a great chance to challenge Verstappen for the title. However, it wasn’t meant to be for the Monegasque driver this year.

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Who among Leclerc and Sainz do you reckon is Ferrari’s number 1 driver?