New Ferrari TP Warned of “Delicate” Dynamic Between Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz to Battle With Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen

Ferrari is not in the best place in terms of team stability. The Scuderia faltered in their championship challenge and now has lost their team principal too. The only thing that might make their situation worse is a feud among their drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Many suggested Carlos Sainz’s arrival at Ferrari might make things unstable in terms of driver relationships. Although the manner the Spaniard has gelled up with Charles Leclerc, their relationship seems quite relaxed. But the F1 boss Stefano Domenicali thinks that this Leclerc-Sainz relationship might be a little delicate issue for Ferrari’s success.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Ferrari boss said, “[Lewis] Hamilton and [Max] Verstappen have been at the top of the [F1] world for some time, Charles [Leclerc] and Carlos [Sainz] can get there, each in their own way: they have what it takes to do it.” [translated via Google]

He further added how their relationship is the key factor in Ferrari winning against Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. He said, “But in F1, your teammate is your first opponent, and therefore future cohabitation depends on how their relationship will be managed. A topic that the new team principal will have to deal with immediately, because it is delicate.”

Domenicali was the team boss of the Prancing Horses from 2008 to 2014, winning their last Constructors’ title in ’08.

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As the Italian said, the new team principal will have to manage Leclerc and Sainz well from a championship perspective. As in 2022, the Scuderia was indecisive about prioritizing one of the two drivers. This hesitation might be problematic for their title chances.

The Driver Management and Team Orders Issues for Ferrari and where can they find answers

The Maranello outfit has been indecisive and reluctant in several aspects in the last few years. A major issue that got highlighted in a few races was Ferrari’s driver management. At several points in 2022, they were not able to prioritize either Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz and, amidst the reluctance, ruined their strategies.

A classic example was the Hungarian GP when they used hard tires in cooler temperatures and suffered badly in the race. While here both Leclerc and Sainz suffered, there were several times when either of the two was left to fend for themselves on a wrong strategy.

The problem might be two-fold with the strategy aspect, though the core question remains the same. Can they implement team orders at a particular moment and prioritize one driver to get the best possible result?

They have done so themselves in the past with Michael Schumacher and his teammate Rubens Barrichello. Even in the Domenicali regime, the Scuderia arguably used to prioritize Fernando Alonso over Felipe Massa. While these instances were not done in the effective ways as Red Bull and Mercedes have done lately, it is a precedent.

While Sainz and Leclerc are a lot different from the above pairings, Ferrari knows how to manage drivers and implement team orders. And even Leclerc has stated that he would want the team to focus on one driver at some point in the championship.

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As things stand, there is no major issue between Leclerc and Sainz. So, the only thing the incoming team principal at Maranello will have to do is clarify all doubts between the duo and plan their 2023 challenge as a unit. What do you think? Can Leclerc and Sainz fight with Verstappen or Hamilton in 2023 as a team?