“I Am Leaving Anyway”: Carlos Sainz’s Psyche in Final Year With Ferrari Dissected After Sour Charles Leclerc Battle

The imminent Carlos Sainz v/s Charles Leclerc has begun and Ferrari has only itself to blame. Lured by Lewis Hamilton, they axed their consistent performer. Despite Sainz thoroughly supporting Leclerc for his first home victory in Monaco, the Monegasque didn’t reciprocate his Spaniard teammate’s kindness at his home race in Barcelona. Instead, he taunted Sainz post-race, and a war of words ensued between the Ferrari teammates. In this scenario, Sky F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham has sided with the departing Ferrari driver’s “perfectly reasonable” rationale.

The Ferrari duo banged wheels in Lap 3 of the Spanish GP when Carlos Sainz passed Charles Leclerc for P5 around the outside of Turn 1. The Monegasque’s front wing was damaged but didn’t affect his performance as much. Post-race, he claimed Sainz wanted “to do something a bit spectacular” to impress his home crowd, which he found “unnecessary”. Countering such comments, the Spaniard hit back, saying Leclerc has been complaining “too many times” after races.

Addressing this unprecedented argument, Natalie Pinkham said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, “I think Carlos is incredibly good at keeping things under wraps and not going public with criticism of his teammate. Considering they’ve been together for four seasons now, actually, they’ve moved along very smoothly together, all things considered.”

The British presenter then delved into why Sainz might’ve changed his usual non-offensive approach to interviews. “He’s probably got to a point now where he’s feeling a bit of pressure about where he goes next,” she added. “He needs to make a decision about his future. He’s also driving incredibly well. So he’s having to put himself in the shop window week in, week out. He’s probably thinking, does it matter now if I criticize publicly? I am leaving anyway,” Pinkham theorized, before backing his logic. “But that’s perfectly reasonable. He has to look after his own career.”

As of now, Sainz’s team options for 2025 aren’t narrow but neither are they attractive. Both Audi (currently Sauber) and Williams are willing to selflessly cater the contract more to his liking, but neither of them have promising performances. But Alpine’s arrival to make this a 3-way bidding war has changed the situation.

Alpine enters the race to sign Carlos Sainz after Flavio Briatore’s arrival

Alpine, formerly Renault, is undergoing massive organizational changes as we speak. The Enstone outfit will part ways with Esteban Ocon at the end of the year, with reserve driver Jack Doohan being the favorite to succeed him. However, after Flavio Briatore’s arrival as advisor to the group CEO, a shake-up is expected.

Briatore is undoubtedly an F1 legend. The Italian businessman has steered the Enstone-based team to two consecutive championships twice – in ’94 and ’95 with Michael Schumacher, when the team was named Benetton, and 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso, when the team was named Renault. To revive their Alpine era, as per ESPN, they are interested in signing Carlos Sainz.

Though Williams’ contract offers more flexibility, Alpine’s is rather generous. Fortuitously, Alpine secured their first double points finish of 2024 at the Spanish GP while Williams struggled more than usual. Audi has somehow become a silent bystander while their top target negotiates with their rivals. Can Alpine upset Williams despite the James Vowles-led team nearly announcing a contract for 2025 in Spain?